82 percent of roads along China border unfinished

[Hindustani78]

The Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation, Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda inspecting the Agartala-Akhawra Railway project, at Agartala on September 15, 2017.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
15-September, 2017 17:08 IST
Indian Army strives to ensure success of Swachh Bharat Campaign

While ‘Swachhta’ and ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ is being run all over the country, the Indian Army takes pride in environmental conservation being intrinsic to its character, ethos and traditions. Army troops deployed in remote areas of the nation have always taken keen interest in environmental conservation. As part of routine, the long range patrols covering snow bound, high altitude and treacherous areas of Himachal Pradesh, along the borders with China and Tibet make it a drill to clean the areas where they patrol. All expedition to these areas bring back non-biodegradable wastes and clean areas in the process.


The Indian Army covers the conservation drive in various verticals which include serving personnel, ex-serviceman, and initiatives within and outside the cantonments and in operational areas.



‘Shramdaan’ and clean the area in and around the place one works, is intrinsic into the character and routine activities of Indian Army personnel. Daily cleanliness drive is carried out by serving personnel on almost daily basis. The families and children join men in tree plantation, hygiene and sanitation awareness camps and cleanliness drives. Roll calls, Sainik Sammelans and briefings during everyday routine find this aspect being highlighted.


Ex-Servicemen are true ambassadors of such disciplined and holistic initiative. They on their part involve societies and civilian population with them to focus on fundamental issue of overall cleanliness, menace of open defecation and tree plantation. In most of our ESM camps and interactions steps are taken to facilitate them to achieve the same.


Cantonments are one of the cleanest places. All actions possible are taken within the cantonment to keep them clean. Other than the composite conservancy staff, additional manpower and equipment have been bought by stations and cantonments to clean their respective areas. Events like ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’, ‘Cleanliness Drives’, ‘Run for clean environment’, are a regular feature to bring in the awareness. All the schools run by the Army have a special focus on this very important aspect other than tree plantation.


All stations and cantonments have been working very closely with CEOs and Cantonment Boards to arrive at a robust cleanliness mechanism. Huge cantonments like Delhi, Lucknow, Ambala, Pathankot, Kolkata etc today can easily be nominated as the cleanest areas of the country. Biodegradable toilets, neat cubicle toilets have been established in almost all such stations and cantonments. Efforts are on to ensure that there is no open defecation in any of the cantonments of Indian Army.


Even in operational areas while Indian Army is deployed at far flung places in mountains, deserts or in other treacherous areas, the brave soldiers make genuine endeavour to clean the areas wherever it is. They involve local population and enmass create campaign for cleanliness and awareness. The patrols which go out to snow bound high altitude areas in Himachal Pradesh, UP, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and in border areas of Tibet and China clean the areas where they patrol. The Indian Army does not leave any stone unturned to ensure that their areas are clean, hygienic and worthy to live in.



Manoj Tuli

APRO (Army)

 

[RoyalEnfieldBullet500]

It is 82% from last few years.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...order-areas/article19746766.ece?homepage=true


New Delhi, September 24, 2017 15:29 IST
Updated: September 24, 2017 15:36 IST

This is the first visit by a senior Minister in the Modi govt. to China border after the resolution of the stand-off in Dokalam.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh will this week visit a Sino-Indian border area in Uttarakhand which has witnessed transgression by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the recent past, officials said.

During the tour to Barahoti, the Home Minister will interact with the personnel of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) which guards the border outpost located at an altitude of 14,311 feet.

This is the first visit by a senior Minister in the Narendra Modi government to China border after the resolution of the stand-off in Dokalam.

Mr. Singh will also visit ITBP border outposts at Rimkhim (altitude 12,500 feet), Mana (10,500 feet) and Auli (10,200 feet) during the four-day trip beginning September 28, a Home Ministry official said.

There were reports that on July 25, Chinese soldiers had entered 800 meters into the Indian territory in Barahoti, located in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, and stayed for sometime before returning to the Chinese territory.

The Home Minister will also address the probationers of the IAS, IPS and other services at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, besides interacting with Central government’s additional secretary rank officials there on the first day of the visit.

The Home Minister is expected to review the situation on the border, address a ‘Sainik Sammelan’ and assess the progress in various infrastructure projects, another Home Ministry official said.

The 3,488 km-long India-China border stretches through Jammu and Kashmir (1,597 km), Himachal Pradesh (200 km), Uttarakhand (345 km), Sikkim (220 km) and Arunachal Pradesh (1,126 km).

The Chinese and Indian troops were in a face-off situation for more than two months in Dokalam in Sikkim sector after Indians stopped the construction of a road by China’s Army.

The Sino-Indian border is not fully demarcated and the process of clarifying and confirming the Line of Actual Control is in progress.

The area is characterised by high-altitude terrain and thick habitation which have resulted in inadequate development of infrastructure in these regions.

To redress the situation arising out of lack of infrastructure along border with China, the government has decided to undertake construction of 73 roads of operational significance.

Of these, 27 roads involving 804.93 km are being constructed by the Home Ministry in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh at an estimated cost of ₹1,937 crore.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
30-September, 2017 19:02 IST
Defence Minister visits Ladakh

Defence Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman visited the forward locations of Leh, Ladakh and Siachen on 30 Sep 17 and reviewed the security situation in the area. During her visit she was accompanied by The Chief of the Army Staff, The Army Commander, Northern Command and Corps Commander of the Ladakh Corps. The Defence Minister interacted with the soldiers in the remote areas of Siachen Glacier and conveyed her best wishes on the auspicious occasion of Dussehra. She also inaugurated a bridge on river Shyok on the road between Durbuk and Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) which was constructed by the BRO. During her visit to Leh she interacted with the troops of Indian Air Force at Air Force Station Leh.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...atham-shyok-bridge-in-leh/article19777154.ece

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat with the troops at one of the forward area posts, in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.


Calls for better roads along LAC and boosting counter-insurgency grid on borders with Pakistan
On her maiden two-day visit to militancy-hit Jammu & Kashmir, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman focussed on “strengthening counter-insurgency grid on borders with Pakistan” and “matching road infrastructure near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China”, military sources said.

On the second day of her tour on Saturday, Ms. Sitharaman visited the forward locations of Leh and Siachen in the Ladakh region.

BRO projects
She took stock of Border Road Organisation projects connecting Leh with areas close to the LAC, where China has built high-grade road infrastructure and provided round-the-clock power supply.

Sources said the Minister stressed matching “infrastructure with China by expanding roadways in the cold mountain region”.

She inaugurated a bridge on the Shyok river between Durbuk and Daulat Beg Oldi, which remains volatile by virtue of frequent trespassing by Chinese forces.

Ms. Sitharamam was accompanied by the Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat; Lt. Gen. D Anbu, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Army Command; and the Chinar Corps Commander. She interacted with the soldiers who man the Siachen glacier, the highest battleground in the world, and “conveyed her best wishes on the auspicious occasion of Dasara”. She met Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel in Leh.

Earlier in Srinagar, Ms. Sitharaman visited the forward areas in north Kashmir, exactly a year after the surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) into Azad Kashmir.

The Minister’s stress was on ensuring “robust counter-infiltration posture” along the LoC, sources said.

Counter insurgency
A Defence spokesman said the Minister expressed satisfaction over the “effectiveness of the intelligence and operational grids” against growing infiltration.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/637621/india-build-roads-linking-four.html

Anirban Bhaumik, New Delhi, DH News Service, Oct 13 2017, 15:14 IST

The Government has set a three-year timeline to build roads to link four strategically important high-altitude mountain passes along India's disputed border with China. File photo

The Government has set a three-year timeline to build roads to link four strategically important high-altitude mountain passes along India's disputed border with China.

With the recent military face-off between Indian Army and Chinese People's Liberation Army at Doklam Plateau in western Bhutan escalated tension between the two neighbours, New Delhi has decided to speed up building strategic infrastructure along the disputed Sino-India border.

A conference of the military commanders in New Delhi has decided that the roads linking the four mountain passes – Niti, Lipulekh, Thang La 1 and Tsang Chok La – along the Line of Actual Control between India and China in Uttarakhand would be built on priority by 2020, Lt Gen. Vijay Singh, Director General (Staff Duties) of Indian Army, said on Friday.

The Line of Actual Control or the LAC acts as a de-facto border between India and China, which have been holding negotiations to settle the disputed boundary over the past 14 years.

“There would be a concerted heft towards road construction activities in this sector,” Lt. Gen. Singh said, while briefing journalists about the discussions being held at a conference of the Indian Army commanders in New Delhi. The conference commenced on Monday and would conclude on Sunday.

India has over the past few years expedited construction of roads along its disputed border with China – in response to the communist country's infrastructure building spree on its side of the LAC.

The army commanders and the senior officials of the Ministry of Defence also discussed “a roadmap for intra-sector connectivity” along the India-China disputed boundary in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh as well as “inter-sector connectivity with neighbouring areas” close to the LAC.

“It has also been decided to allot additional funds to the BRO (Border Roads Organization) for (the) Northern Command for development of roads and infrastructure,” said the senior Indian Army officer.

The Northern Command of Indian Army has its headquarters in Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir and it is responsible for India's defence along its unsettled borders with China and Pakistan.

Singh said that the Indian Army commanders “examined” proposals for “organizational changes of some of the formations” for “capability enhancement”.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

The Army Commanders' Conference organised here from October 9 to 15 comes after a 75-day standoff between India and China in the Doklam Sector in Sikkim, which ended on August 28. (Representative image)

On boosting infrastructure along the borders, Singh said "four passes to Niti, Lipulekh, Thangla 1 and Tsangchokla have been decided to be connected by 2020 on priority." All these passes are along the Sino-India border in central sector.

He said a roadmap for intra sector connectivity within central sector and inter-sector connectivity with neigbhouring areas have been discussed.

The commanders also deliberated on the cadre review of Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks (OR), which now stands approved, and implementation of the Shekatkar committee recommendation on carrying out reforms in the force.

The issue of employment of women officers in areas of specialisation that require continuity also figured.

In the next two days, the commanders will discuss a number of issues relating human resources which include promotion of eligible officers to the rank of Lieutenant General.

He said the Army has decided to modernise all military stations on par with the government's smart city project and initially, 58 stations have been identified for the project. The army has over 2,000 military stations across the country.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Home Affairs
26-October, 2017 14:05 IST
Chief Minister Jammu and Kashmir meets Union Home Minister

Development Projects in J&K to be accelerated

The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ms Mehbooba Mufti met the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh here today. The meeting was also attended by the MoS (Home) Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba, Chief Secretary J&K and other senior officials from MHA and State Government.

It was decided to fast track the projects under Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) by making encumbrance free land available for the Infrastructure projects including Road, Power, and Health etc. Under the Prime Ministers’ Development Package for Jammu and Kashmir (Rs 80,068 Crores) for 63 major Development projects pertaining to 15 Central Government Ministries, an amount of Rs 62,599 Crores (approx. 78%) has been sanctioned and an amount of Rs 22,042 Crores (approx. 28%) has been released.

Special emphasis will be given for development of border areas (0-10 km) while selecting projects under the Border Area Development Program (BADP). It was also decided that to ensure safety of these people in Border areas, construction of Bunkers along the border will be expedited.

It was also decided to accelerate the development projects relating to additional jobs to Kashmiri Migrants, transit accommodations, transfer of cash relief/honorarium through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode and providing employment to youth of J&K.

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[Hindustani78]

Leh, October 29, 2017 16:32 IST
Updated: October 29, 2017 16:35 IST
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...nectivity-to-china-border/article19944158.ece

Border Roads Organisation inaugurates 30-metre heavy bridge over the Linche river on Leh-Loma road
Working towards improving road connectivity to areas close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Ladakh region, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) today opened a newly-constructed bridge to the people of the cold desert region in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Continuing its development work in the strategic Ladakh region, Project Himank of the BRO on Sunday dedicated another bridge to the people of the cold desert, the third such bridge in a month, for efficient connectivity to the China border,” a spokesman of the BRO said.

The chief engineer of Project Himank, Brigadier D.M Purvimath, inaugurated the 30-metre heavy bridge over the Linche river on Leh-Loma road.

Appreciating the engineers and workers of the organisation, Brig. Purvimath said Project Himank would accomplish development of Leh by providing modern bridges and roads to enhance connectivity.

He emphasised the need to expedite completion of all bridges falling on all the strategically-important road communications on the Indo-China axis.

Brig. Purvimath said this bridge on the Leh-Loma road would enhance travel of locals as well as the Army in this strategic region.

“Such connectivity shall enhance travel and communication for strategic transport and tourism development.”

He said that all bailey bridges were being replaced by modern heavy permanent bridges in the sector of Project Himank.

The Leh-Loma road is the main connectivity to various link roads along the Line of Actual Control and is being developed to National Highway Double Lane (NHDL) specification owing to its strategic and operational importance as it is the closest route to China border, the spokesman said.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
02-November, 2017 15:13 IST
RRM Inaugrurates Seminar on Challenges in Construction of Highway Tunnels in Himalayan Region

The Raksha Rajya Mantri Dr. Subhash Bhamre inaugurated a two-day seminar on ‘Challenges in Planning, Investigation, Design and Construction of Highway Tunnels in Himalayan Region’ organised by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) here today. Addressing the function, Dr. Bhamre said development of road infrastructure plays a vital role in overall development of the nation, creation of jobs, attract foreign investment and in integration of remote parts of the country with the mainland. He said, in the Himalayan region, road infrastructure is of special significance, as it remains the only means of communication for movement of inhabitants, their logistic support and for their overall development. For the areas having security concerns, necessity of reliable and all-weather connectivity becomes all the more important.

Dr. Bhamre, however said that construction of road network in upper Himalayan region, poses severe challenges and to address such issues effectively and ensure all weather connectivity meeting the growing ecological and environmental concerns, underground structure like ‘tunnels’ are the only viable solution. “Therefore for mighty Himalayas, tunnel construction shall form an important feature of the road and rail network to ensure an all-weather, smooth and reliable communication, even if at initial stage it works out to be a costly solution” he stated. Dr. Subhash Bhamre further said that the country is now making a rapid advancement in the construction of tunnels both for road and rail network. Construction of Chenani–Nashri highway tunnel and Banihal-Quazikund rail tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir and number of tunnels in Delhi Metro has proved India’s technical strength in this specialised field in the global community. He also said that in near future, the completion of 8.80 km long highway tunnel across Rohtang pass, which is under construction by BRO where a breakthrough has now been achieved will ensure proper connectivity. The RRM also inaugurated an exhibition where several companies involved in designing and construction of highway tunnels have showcased their exhibits.

Engineer-in-Chief Lt Gen Suresh Sharma, Director General Military Operations Lt Gen Anil Kumar Bhatt, Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Dr. Mangu Singh, Director, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Professor V Ramgopal Rao and Director General Border Roads Organisation Lt Gen SK Shrivastava also highlighted the importance of this specialised subject. The function was attended by several senior officials from BRO, Ministry of Defence and representatives from various companies.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Subhash Ramrao Bhamre lighting the lamp at the inaugural ceremony of two-day seminar on ‘Challenges in Planning, Investigation, Design and Construction of Highway Tunnels in Himalayan Region’, organised by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), in New Delhi on November 02, 2017. The Director General, Border Roads Organisation, Lt. Gen. S.K. Shrivastava and the Engineer-in- Chief, Lt. Gen. Suresh Sharma are also seen.

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Subhash Ramrao Bhamre at the inaugural function of a two-day seminar on ‘Challenges in Planning, Investigation, Design and Construction of Highway Tunnels in Himalayan Region’, organised by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), in New Delhi on November 02, 2017. The Director General Border Roads Organisation, Lt. Gen. S.K. Shrivastava, the Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Dr. Mangu Singh, the Engineer-in- Chief, Lt. Gen. Suresh Sharma and other dignitaries are also seen.

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Subhash Ramrao Bhamre addressing the gathering at a two-day seminar on ‘Challenges in Planning, Investigation, Design and Construction of Highway Tunnels in Himalayan Region’, organised by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), in New Delhi on November 02, 2017.

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Subhash Ramrao Bhamre inaugurating an exhibition, in which several companies involved in designing and construction of highway tunnels have showcased their exhibits, at a seminar on ‘Challenges in Planning, Investigation, Design and Construction of Highway Tunnels in Himalayan Region’, organised by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), in New Delhi on November 02, 2017. The Director General Border Roads Organisation, Lt. Gen. S.K. Shrivastava, the Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Dr. Mangu Singh, the Engineer-in- Chief, Lt. Gen. Suresh Sharma and other dignitaries are also seen.

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Subhash Ramrao Bhamre going round an exhibition, in which several companies involved in designing and construction of highway tunnels have showcased their exhibits, at a seminar on ‘Challenges in Planning, Investigation, Design and Construction of Highway Tunnels in Himalayan Region’, organised by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), in New Delhi on November 02, 2017. The Director General Border Roads Organisation, Lt. Gen. S.K. Shrivastava is also seen.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...e-sea-level/story-EDsRA1CUjeGetXdUN15mbO.html

The road was constructed by the Border Roads Organisation under Project Himank.
india Updated: Nov 02, 2017 23:28 IST
Press Trust of India, Srinagar

A Border Road Organization truck drives past walls of snow on the Zojila Pass, about 110 kilometers north of Srinagar on April 30, 2016.(AP File Photo)

In a major feat, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed the world’s highest motorable road in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, passing through Umlingla Top at a height of over 19,300 feet.

The feat was achieved under ‘Project Himank’ of the organisation.

Being close to Hanle, the 86km long strategic road connects Chisumle and Demchok villages, located 230 Kms from Leh. These villages are stone’s throw away from the Indo-China border in eastern sector, a spokesman of BRO said.

Felicitating the BRO personnel for completing the herculean task, chief engineer, Project Himank, Brigadier D M Purvimath, said constructing the road at the altitude of over 19,300 feet was filled with life threatening challenges.

He said the climate at the location is always adverse for construction activities.

“During peak summers, temperature hovers around minus 10-20 degrees Celsius, and in winters, it dips to minus 40 degrees. Oxygen level at the altitude is 50 per cent less than at normal places,” Purvimath said.

“Efficiency of machines and manpower declines by 50 per cent due to harsh climate and less oxygen level. Also, machine operators have to come down every 10 minutes for oxygen,” he said.

The brigadier said logistics was another major challenge at such an altitude.

“Taking equipment at such a height, repairing and maintaining it is a major task since equipment face a lot of breakdowns,” he said.

Purvimath said because of this gradation, the personnel faced serious health problems like loss of memory, eyesight and high blood pressure.

“Such a construction does not come without a cost, but given the national and strategic importance of the road, our men and machinery worked overnight to meet the targets set out by Director General, Border Roads,” he said.

Pardeep Raj, Commander 753 BRTF, who looks after road construction of this sector, said the BRO personnel were acclimatised through a tedious process and lot of training before being assigned the job.

“Acclimatisation of men is done at three stages- Leh, Shakti and Numa- before being inducted into the sector. Physical and mental fitness of men is emphasised upon for working in the area as the working season is limited in the region,” he said.

The Project Himank has already constructed roads like Khardangu La at an altitude of 17,900 ft and Changla Pass at 17,695 ft in Leh by connecting Nobra valley and Durbuk valley in the cold desert.

 

[Hindustani78]

 

[Hindustani78]

World’s highest rail bridge on Chenab river can stand quakes, blasts: Officials

The work on the Rs 1,250-crore bridge, which will be 359 metres above the Chenab river bed and stand 30 metres taller than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, will be completed by May, 2019.

By: PTI | Kauri | Updated: November 12, 2017 8:22 pm

The overall length of the bridge is 1,315 metres, having 17 spans, of which the main steel arch portion across the Chenab river is of 476 metres in length and its height is 359 metres above the river bed. (Representational Image/ youtube)


An under-construction railway bridge over the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, billed to be the world’s highest, can withstand earthquakes measuring up to eight on the Richter scale and high-intensity blasts, railway officials have said.


The arch bridge, a part of an ambitious railway project connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country, will have a “security setup” against possible terror threats and quakes, the officials said. The work on the Rs 1,250-crore bridge, which will be 359 metres above the Chenab river bed and stand 30 metres taller than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, will be completed by May, 2019.


As Jammu and Kashmir is faced with terror activities and prone to earthquakes, M K Gupta, Member (Engineering) of the Railway Board, said that the railways “will put in place a security setup against any such threat in consultation with defence forces”. “The bridge has been designed in such a way that it will withstand an earthquake measuring eight on the Richter scale. There will be no damage to the bridge,” said Gupta, who began the work on putting the main arch on November 5.


He said that a detailed, site-specific seismic analysis has been carried out by experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. “The bridge has also been designed with anti-terror features in consultation with the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO),” a senior engineer working on the project said, without explaining further.


The bridge, a part of the Udhampur-Reasi-Anantnag-Srinagar-Baramulla railway project, can withstand a blast of 30kg of explosives, the engineer said. The overall length of the bridge is 1,315 metres, having 17 spans, of which the main steel arch portion across the Chenab river is of 476 metres in length and its height is 359 metres above the river bed.


“There are certain unique and unparallelled features in the under-construction bridge. It is for the first time in India that a concrete-filled steel arch is being used as the main arch,” he said. He said that the work on viaduct portion of the bridge at Srinagar end was nearing completion.


The project work is being carried out by AFCONS Construction Company through Konkan Railway. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project will be completed by March, 2021, he said.


Officials overseeing the project on the ground said that more than 1,300 workers and 300 engineers have been working round-the-clock to complete the bridge in time. Over 70 per cent of the work has been completed, they added. The construction work started in 2004, but the work was briefly stopped in 2008-09 in view of the safety of rail passengers due to frequent high-velocity winds in the area.