Lt Gen Bipin Rawat

New Delhi, December 19

Army Chief-designate Lt Gen Bipin Rawat and Northern Command chief Lt Gen Devraj Anbu have underlined the need for a “special focus” to achieve all-weather connectivity to the strategic Ladakh region which borders China.The Ladakh region remains cut off from the rest of the country for almost six winter months. This happens due to intensive snowfall, avalanches and icing at passes viz Zojila on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh road and Rohtang, Baralacha, Lachung and Tanglang on the Manali-Sarchu-Upshi-Leh road.“It, therefore, needs a special focus and a network of tunnels to have an all-weather connectivity,” a statement by the Army quoted them as saying at a one-day workshop organised by the Ministry of Defence on tunnelling in the north and northeastern region on December 17 here.Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar highlighted that infrastructure development in the north and northeastern part of the country had always been a matter of challenge due to the adverse climatic conditions, fragile and young geology and remote location. — PTI

Strategic significance

• The Ladakh region, which has high strategic importance, remains cut off from the rest of the country for almost six winter months due to snowfall and avalanches
• Army Chief-designate Lt Gen Bipin Rawat has underlined the need for a “special focus” to achieve all-weather connectivity to the strategic Ladakh region which borders China