In a big boost to enhance military preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) has sanctioned some key Defence infra projects that cover eastern Ladakh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
These projects, important for national security and strategic mobility, are new road links, missile unit facilities, aviation infrastructure, and military housing units. The committee, led by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, gave clearances for projects needing diversion of wildlife and forestland in sensitive ecological areas like Karakoram, Changthang, Dibang, and Pangolakha sanctuaries.
One of the most significant approvals is a 10.26-kilometre road between Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) and the Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) Hut, where top Indian and Chinese military officers have talks. DBO, situated at 17,000 feet, is India's northernmost military outpost and where the country's highest airstrip is situated.
This road will increase operational mobility in a sensitive area, which has seen regular stand-offs between Indian and Chinese troops. Last October, the board cleared an alternative route to DBO, another effort to raise logistical access to the area.
Apart from that, the committee has given the go-ahead for the development of aviation facilities at Shyok, which will be a forward aviation base, as well as short-range surface-to-air missile facilities, including technical facilities, command and control posts, and troop shelters.
One of the most contentious clearances is for building the Arunachal Frontier Highway, which will run near the Myanmar border and slice through the Namdapha Tiger Reserve's core zone. The project will cut away 310 hectares of forest land and entail massive tree cutting.
Nevertheless, the SC-NBWL has rendered this clearance contingent, demanding mitigation steps to reduce the impacts on wildlife and its habitat. The highway is deemed vital in enhancing India's border infrastructure in the Northeast.
The Defence projects are subject to clearance under wildlife protection legislation as they traverse ecologically sensitive areas. These comprise:
· Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, where one can find animals such as the Tibetan antelope, snow leopard, Shapo, wild yak, and Himalayan grey wolf.
· Changthang Cold Desert Sanctuary, which is in Ladakh too.
· Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, famous for leopards, tigers, and red pandas.
· Pangolakha Sanctuary in Sikkim, which houses the Asiatic black bear, among others.
The SC-NBWL also gave the go-ahead for plans to construct troop quarters, field hospitals, and helicopter parking grounds. One such unit at Partapur will aid flying operations in the Siachen Glacier, the Defence Ministry's plan states.
In Sikkim, the committee sanctioned a border outpost at Pangola and the upgrading of the Rishi-Rongli-Kupup road, a strategic artery being upgraded under Project Swastik by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). These developments will be to national highway double-lane standards with animal passage plans to reduce ecological impact.
The other significant project is the construction of the Malinye-Balua-Kapuda road covering 121 hectares of forest land in Arunachal's Anini Forest Division, with provisions in law for corridors for wildlife to safeguard faunal biodiversity.
Although the above projects are vital for enhancing the border security and military establishment of India, the committee has underlined the importance of conserving biodiversity through rigorous mitigation measures such as wildlife crossings, monitoring, and habitat restoration wherever necessary.
The clearances reflect the Indian government's twin approach of bolstering national security along the LAC while charting environmental sensitivities through some of the nation's most vulnerable ecosystems.
