Model villages & air strips to communication lines — India ramps up infra development in border areas

Meanwhile, China too has been building roads, airports and Xiaokang villages on a war footing along the Line of Actual Control.

Representational image of the Daporijo Bridge over Subansiri River constructed by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to connect strategic Line of Communication, in Arunachal | ANI

Dinjan: In order to bolster border infrastructure, India and China are ramping up construction of villages in their respective border areas.

India has fast-tracked construction of model villages under the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) which was initiated in February 2022. The Arunachal Pradesh government has started development of model villages in villages such as Kibithu, Kaho and Meshai — the farthest border villages in the state, with Kaho being the easternmost.

A total of 662 border villages were identified under the VVP programme, 77 of which are in Arunachal. Of these, 23 have been marked as ‘priority’ villages. Sources in the defence and security establishment said that in Lohit, 31 villages are currently being constructed, seven of which are on the ‘priority’ list. Nine of the 23 ‘priority’ villages are further adopted under ‘Operation Sadbhavana’, the Army’s outreach initiative.

In Dibang, 22 model villages are being constructed, with five on ‘priority’, while in the Dau-Delai valley near Hayuliang in Anjaw district, a total of 24 villages are being made with 11 on priority. 

The other infrastructure development projects being undertaken in these valleys are in the education, energy, health, tourism, agriculture, community development and waste management sectors, sources said.

Meanwhile, China has so far built more than 1,20,000 km of roads along with 30 border airports, sources further said. Last year alone, nearly 8-10 villages across the Indian Army’s 3 Corps, headquartered in Dimapur, have come up on the Chinese side. Of the 628 Xiaokang (or moderately prosperous) villages that China has constructed all along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), nearly 145 have come up in Tibet along India’s border, sources added.

With nearly USD 30 million for infrastructure development, China, sources said, has taken concerted efforts in building roads and Chinese border settlements, known as Xiaokang. Other development in infrastructure includes road networks, air strips and hydel park.

‘Communication and network connectivity a priority’

In order to improve communication and connectivity along the LAC, the Indian Army has been undertaking development of communication networks and amping up aviation infrastructure.

To improve communication, the Army has taken several measures such as setting up of Optical Fibre Cables (OFCs) and radars in forward areas.

The operational challenges in the region remain mainly due to altitude differentials in the high-mountainous region. Another feature of the terrain in the region is the existence of river valleys and alpine jungles. These factors, together with extreme weather, pose operational challenges to the security forces deployed in the area.

A source said that as part of military operations, connectivity through roads and tracks remains important. Domination of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and enhancement of infrastructure capacity enhancement, communication network, capability for operational response remains the focus under the Army’s 3 Corps.

Other infrastructural developments happening in the region includes the development of helipads and aviation bases, operational tracks, bridges, infrastructure at isolated posts, defence infrastructure development and billeting. The source added that enhancement of survivability remains the key goal in these regions.

To bolster road connectivity, a number of key connectivity projects are in the works. The Trans Arunachal Highway, which is 2,407 km-long, has progressed up to 92 percent. This highway runs across Arunachal Pradesh. The road, once complete, will connect all the district headquarters of the state. 

Furthermore, to enhance connectivity, another project, the Trans Frontier Highway, is in its initial stages of construction. This project will enable connectivity of villages situated along the McMahon Line on the India-China border. This project will provide inter-valley connectivity.

The Tezu and Pasighat airstrips situated in Arunachal Pradesh came up two years back. 

(Edited by Gitanjali Das)