The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is set to complete the construction of two key roads in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to boost connectivity to forward areas near the China border.
- It prepares to begin work on the Shinku La tunnel (the world’s highest) to provide all-weather connectivity from Manali to Leh via the Nimmu-Padam-Darcha axis.
- The Banga-Janga-Gompa–LJG Road in Arunachal Pradesh will be ready to support military movement by the year-end.
- The connectivity between Munsiyari and Milam in Uttarakhand will be achieved by July 2024.
- The two roads are among the 61 strategic roads assigned to BRO near the Chinese border in Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
Shinku La Tunnel
- The Centre has given the Forest (Conservation) Act clearance for construction of the strategic tunnel, one that will bypass the 16,615-ft high pass, Shinku La, connecting Ladakh to Himachal.
- The route via Nimmu-Padam-Darcha axis will provide the third connectivity option to Ladakh.
- The tunnel will cut the distance between Manali and Leh by 60 km, bringing it down from 355 to 295 km. It is an alternative to the Manali-Leh-Kargil route. Leh can also be accessed from the traditional Srinagar route.
