New Delhi: The Army is delighted with the Centre’s decision to ease environmental clearance norms for border projects, and hopes it will hasten the construction of 80 strategic roads leading to the Sino-Indian border that, sources say, were stuck over environmental clearances. The Army has started raising its Mountain Strike Corps in the eastern sector that will for the first time give it offensive capabilities vis-a-vis China. Some of these 80 roads will be of immense help to the newly-founded corps.
The decision to ease the norms was taken after top MoD officials met Mr Javadekar as several projects were held up for want of clearances. “There will be a policy of ‘general approvals’ — that means approvals can be granted by states and all files need not come to the Centre,” Mr Javadekar said. He tweeted later: “Delays in defence projects were due to case-by-case decisions. We will make policy decisions, will put policies in place.” He added: “Instead of case-by-case delayed approvals, we’re making simpler, transparent and predictable process of approvals.”
He, however, also said states should not compromise on environmental concerns. “But we will cut short delays.” For decades, India had not developed its defence infrastructure in the eastern sector fearing a Chinese invasion after the humiliating defeat suffered in the 1962 war. But perceptions began to change and India realised the advantages of developing border infrastructure in the eastern sector. Nevertheless, the Chinese are far ahead in terms of their border infrastructure.
The LAC is the de facto border between India and China in areas such as the Ladakh region of J&K in the north and Arunachal Pradesh to the east where both countries have different perceptions of the border.
The strategic roads will be built by the Border Roads Organisation and even the previous UPA-2 government was earlier considering outsourcing some of the work to private agencies to enhance the capability of the BRO.
The other Indian border states where the International border between the two countries stands are Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. The total distance of the Sino-Indian border that includes both the LAC and the IB is about 4,000 km.
The strategic roads will be built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and even the previous UPA-2 Government at the Centre was earlier considering outsourcing some of the work to private agencies to enhance the capability of the BRO.
A few years ago, the MoD had told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, “China has been building its infrastructure. They have the advantage of the topography also because they have the Tibetan plateau whereas from our side, the terrain and the geography are far more difficult. Therefore, these roads have been assigned the highest priority in the Government. But there were issues of land acquisition, there were issues of getting the forestry and wildlife clearance.”
In the past few years, India has been steadfastly building up defence infrastructure in the Ladakh area of J&K in the north and in Arunachal Pradesh to the east including Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) which can support air-operations if need be. India is also in the process of acquiring Ultra-light howitzer artillery guns for the Army for mountain warfare from the United States that are expected to be deployed in the eastern sector.
Meanwhile, referring to Wednesday’s speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament, Environment Minister Javadekar said the Prime Minister had mentioned environment protection and decisions based on policies. He also said he would hold discussions with Prime Minister Modi and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and that “the government will have that policy in place so that the clearances will be more on fast-track without compromising the environmental issues”.
Mr. Javadekar also tweeted on the issue of granting clearance to install a radar station at Narcondam in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. “In Narcondam and other areas, will ensure complete protection of nature including Hornbills. We won’t compromise on environment protection,” the Minister said in one of his tweets.
