Farmer leaders also welcome the support of political parties to the nationwide strike against the laws and demand that the legislations be repealed
armers at the Singhu border. PTI file
New Delhi, December 7
Thousands of farmers protesting against the Centre’s new agri laws for the past 11 days here have called on people to join their Bharat bandh on Tuesday in large numbers, as police increased deployment at various Delhi border points.
Farmer leaders also welcomed the support of political parties to the nationwide strike against the laws and demanded that the legislations be repealed.
The Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party, CPI(M) and DMK are among the political parties that are backing the day-long strike.
Delhi Police have increased security arrangements on Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as a precautionary measure.
Farmers have threatened to intensify their agitation and block more roads leading to the national capital if the government did not accept their demand.
Talks between the government and protesting farmer unions so far have been futile and the sixth round of discussions is scheduled to be held on Wednesday.
Delhi Traffic Police on Monday tweeted about the closure of the Singhu, Auchandi, Piao Maniyari and Mangesh borders. The Tikri and Jharoda borders are also closed, it said.
The National Highway-44 has also been closed on both sides. So those travelling are suggested to take alternative routes through Lampur, Safiabad and Saboli borders. Traffic has also been diverted from Mukarba and GTK road, the traffic police said.
Those travelling towards Noida have been advised to take DND as the Chilla border on the Noida link road, too, is closed for traffic movement, it said.
“The Chilla border on the Noida link road is closed for traffic from Noida to Delhi due to farmers’ protests near Gautam Budh Dwar. People are advised to avoid the Noida link road for coming to Delhi and use DND,” the traffic police said on Twitter.
The Gazipur border on NH-24 is also closed for traffic from Gaziabad to Delhi. “People are advised to avoid NH-24 for coming to Delhi and use Apsara/Bhopra/DND for coming to Delhi,” it added.
However, the Badusarai border is open only for light motor vehicles like cars and two-wheelers and Jhatikara border is open only for two-wheeler traffic, police said.
They said those travelling to Haryana can take Dhansa, Daurala, Kapashera, Rajokri NH-8, Bijwasan or Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera borders. PTI
Congress MPs from Punjab, Haryana stage dharna at Jantar Mantar; want Parliament session to be convened
Ahead of the Bharat bandh called by farmers’ union demanding the repeal of three agriculture reform laws, the Congress on Monday upped the ante against the Centre staging a protest at Jantar Mantar to seek convening of a Parliament session to discuss issues and said the government had lost all credibility.
Congress MPs from Punjab and Haryana Ravneet Bittu, Preneet Kaur, Gurjeet Aujla, Amar Singh, Manish Tewari, Mohammad Sadique and Deepender Hooda are currently sitting in dharna on Jantar Mantar urging the Centre to rescind the contentious laws and take further discussions to Parliament.
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, meanwhile, addressed the media saying the responsibility for any inconvenience people would face during Bharat bandh lay with the Centre that did not consult farmers before passing the laws.
“The responsibility has to be fixed and it lies squarely at the doors of the government which failed to engage the farmers before passing the laws and also rode roughshod on the opposition when it tried to question the laws in the last session of Parliament. The solution now is to repeal the laws, call a session of Parliament and discuss issues afresh,” Jakhar said.
He said the “rigid” Centre was responsible for the agitation and for farmers sitting out in bitter cold.
Jakhar also warned that the agitation was impacting food security. “Food security is an integral part of national security. Neither can be outsourced,” he said adding that the intention of the bills was suspect and farmers would not allow corporatisation of agriculture.
“Farmers cannot be run through contractors. Also rather than spending money on a new parliament building, the Centre should realise that Parliament doesn’t run on buildings. It runs on emotions,” Jakhar said accusing the government of hurting the sentiments of farmers and not taking cognisance of their feelings.
“The discussions taking place on borders today should have taken place in Parliament. Also the government should stop following the US model of lobbying. We will not let farming be outsourced. And we will not let national security outsourced,” he said.
Jakhar also warned against certain sections instigating farmers of Haryana to raise the SYL issue in the ongoing protests. “Don’t let anyone divide Haryana and Punjab farmers. Some people are asking for SYL to be included but farmers cannot be divided,” he said terming the ongoing agitation a revolution.
The Congress also appealed to commuters to “keep their inconveniences due to the bandh aside and lend support to Bharat bandh”.
Army has a new head of information warfare. But first, stop hiding facts from Indians
The over-supply of information during Operation Vijay in Kargil has been in stark contrast to the denial stance adopted by the Narendra Modi government since the 2017 Doklam crisis broke. Lessons learnt on information warfare in 1999 have been put aside to reveal a new methodology of controlling the story from India’s military frontline, through silence and selective friendly leaks. To put this doctrine into practice, a new post of Director General of Information Warfare has been created under the Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Strategy.
This is essentially the elevation of the already functioning Additional Director General, Public Information (ADG PI). Its roots were in a small team put together by two sections of Military Operations and Intelligence directorates, working out of a South Block dungeon called Army Liaison Cell (ALC). The 1990s’ terrorism and insurgency fuelled the need for a non-attributable, but reliable, Army HQs address for journalists, including foreign media. Access was open to all credited journalists, and even some greenhorns cutting their teeth in defence reporting. A Colonel led the group of officers, until Op Vijay broke. I was witness to the emergence of this cell, its growth, and its operational utility during conventional and counter-insurgency operations.
The outstanding Lt Gen. Paramjit S. Sangha will be India’s first Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy). He will function as the ‘single-point advice’ person to the Vice Chief of Army Staff (V-COAS) and will have Directors of General Military Operations, Intelligence, Perspective Planning and Strategic Communication reporting to him. Their inputs will then be collated to deliver ‘advice’ to the V-COAS. So, in effect, four Lt Generals will report to a slightly senior Lt General who will then sift through their inputs, and share it with yet another Lt General, albeit a little more senior. This reform at the Army HQs has been approved by the Union government.
First of all, in the current scenario, information warfare has to be a tri-service effort, and the DG of Information Warfare should be responsible for handling dissemination from the three services. That is, after all, the stated objective of jointmanship and the purpose behind creating a Chief of Defence Staff.
All press reports, stemming from the same briefing, suggest that the mover behind this reform was the 2017 Doklam crisis. According to an Indian Expressreport: “The need for the creation of the single-point advice person for the Vice Chief was felt during the standoff with China in Doklam in 2017. Sources had said earlier that this was because everything was under different verticals, and several officers would provide similar inputs.” This reasoning defies imagination since those ‘several’ officers could still provide similar inputs to the Deputy Chief, and he, in turn, carry the same contents to the V-COAS. After all, if various Lt Generals are expected to render advice in a mobilisation scenario, as Doklam was, it is almost certain all would share similar views, a logical outcome of their training and experience.
So, if Doklam is being taken as the instigator of this reform, it doesn’t quite click because, by all accounts, the Army fulfilled its operational role in Doklam with suitable results. The subsequent losses in the area are not on account of the Army, but political diplomacy, and beyond the purview of this reform. When the functioning cannot be faulted, then changing structures is not reform but bureaucratic tinkering, which will not do any good for the Army HQs’ efficiency, however outstanding Lt Gen. Sangha may be. In the recent past, the Army HQs hasn’t really been found wanting during times of crisis or operational deployment.
The success, or otherwise, of Army HQs is directly proportional to the clarity of political directives, and the monies put on the table to achieve the targeted results. During far greater challenges, the Army HQs has achieved more with less, only because there was no political pussy-footing, and resources were made available as desired. The best example is Kargil and Operation Vijay, in sharp contrast to the current mobilisation in Ladakh, Operation Snow Leopard. The use of firepower is, of course, completely dissimilar between the two, but equally important is how vastly divergent information warfare was, and is being, applied in both scenarios.
Back in the ALC, the swashbuckling Maj. Gen. Arjun Ray was brought in to handle the Kargil crisis from an information perspective. He had a psychological operations background from a foreign course, and understood its immense value, as also the methodology of achieving results. Responsibility was delegated to a few young Majors and Captains drawn from across the Army, with a target audience that was within India as well as across the border in Pakistan, and thereafter, the rest of the world. In fact, the initiative was taken by two officers, one from the Armoured Corps and the other from Signals. Then Chief of Army Staff Gen. V.P. Malik gave a broad perspective to the ALC, and it was implemented with operational and intelligence inputs from the concerning directorates. The simple formula worked well even in the most trying of circumstances.
Now when the challenges are far less, capability somewhat greater, and the Modi government in an information denial mode, the new Deputy Chief of Strategy has a tough task ahead of him. Particularly since a lot more information is available to all known adversaries outside of India, as well as friendly countries. Those being denied information are only the citizens, while foreign media gets briefed, covertly, as the ALC once did. Psychological operations aimed only at the domestic audience don’t alter facts on the ground, nor the adversaries’ willingness to fight, which must always be the primary military objectiveof information warfare.
The author is a Congress leader and Editor-in-Chief of Defence & Security Alert. Views are personal.
Why Army wants a new Deputy Chief and Director General at its headquarters
Idea for a Deputy Chief (Strategy) came about during the Doklam crisis when it was felt the Army Headquarters needed closer and direct coordination between its verticals.
New Delhi: The Army aims to bring in a more cohesive approach to deal with situations like Doklam and Ladakh and undertake optimal utilisation of key verticals with the creation of a new post of Deputy Chief (Strategy) at its headquarters. It also plans to have strategic communication in play in an era of 5th Generation Warfare with the creation of Director General (Information Warfare).
The two new posts, which are part of the Army Headquarters reforms being carried out, have been approved.
Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Paramjit Singh Sangha is likely to be the first Deputy Chief (Strategy).
Lt Gen Sangha, who was a key officer involved in the planning and execution of the 2016 surgical strike, has a long experience dealing with operational issues.
According to the plan, Directorate of the Military Operations (MO) and Military Intelligence, besides Operational Logistics (DGOL) and Director General (Information Warfare), will report to the new Deputy Chief (Strategy), sources in the defence and security establishment said.
Earlier, all these directorates reported to the Vice Chief individually. However, under the new set-up, the Deputy Chief will become the single-point advice person to the Vice Chief on operational issues.
Sources explained that there were a number of verticals that used to report to the Vice Chief and final assessment of issues happened at this level.
“Now we will have the new Deputy Chief who will collate all the inputs and then put forward a crystallised assessment and way forward,” a source said.
A second source said this would mean various existing verticals will be optimally utilised.
The sources said despite intelligence being a big factor in any operation or situation, the Military Intelligence was not fully utilised.
“The MO was the more dominant player in the Army’s scheme of things. A sense of competition always exists within any organisation and military is also not immune to it. Hence, it was important to have a cohesive approach to information, intelligence, operations and strategy,” a source said.
The idea for a new post came about during the Doklam crisis when it was felt the Army Headquarters needed closer and direct coordination between its verticals.
Re-organisation of the Army Headquarters was one of the four studies instituted by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat when he was the Army chief.
The Army already has two deputy chiefs who look after Information Systems and Training, and Planning.
On the new post of Director General (Information Warfare), who will report to the Deputy Chief (Strategy), sources said it was important to have a common strategy on communication.
Till now, the Army has had three main verticals looking after information warfare. This included the Army PRO who came under the Ministry of Defence, the Information Warfare unit that comes under Military Operations and the Additional Director General (ADG) Public Information (PI), under Military Intelligence.
The ADGPI has now been named ADG (Strat Comm), headed by a Major General rank officer, and will report to the Director General (Information Warfare), which will be headed by a Lieutenant General-rank officer.
Thousands of farmers protesting against the Centre’s new agri laws for the past 11 days here have called on people to join their Bharat bandh on Tuesday in large numbers, as police increased deployment at various Delhi border points.
Farmer leaders also welcomed the support of political parties to the nationwide strike against the laws and demanded that the legislations be repealed.
The Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party, CPI(M) and DMK are among the political parties that are backing the day-long strike.
Delhi Police have increased security arrangements on Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as a precautionary measure.
Farmers have threatened to intensify their agitation and block more roads leading to the national capital if the government did not accept their demand.
Talks between the government and protesting farmer unions so far have been futile and the sixth round of discussions is scheduled to be held on Wednesday.
Delhi Traffic Police on Monday tweeted about the closure of the Singhu, Auchandi, Piao Maniyari and Mangesh borders. The Tikri and Jharoda borders are also closed, it said.
The National Highway-44 has also been closed on both sides. So those travelling are suggested to take alternative routes through Lampur, Safiabad and Saboli borders. Traffic has also been diverted from Mukarba and GTK road, the traffic police said.
Those travelling towards Noida have been advised to take DND as the Chilla border on the Noida link road, too, is closed for traffic movement, it said.
“The Chilla border on the Noida link road is closed for traffic from Noida to Delhi due to farmers’ protests near Gautam Budh Dwar. People are advised to avoid the Noida link road for coming to Delhi and use DND,” the traffic police said on Twitter.
The Gazipur border on NH-24 is also closed for traffic from Gaziabad to Delhi. “People are advised to avoid NH-24 for coming to Delhi and use Apsara/Bhopra/DND for coming to Delhi,” it added.
However, the Badusarai border is open only for light motor vehicles like cars and two-wheelers and Jhatikara border is open only for two-wheeler traffic, police said.
They said those travelling to Haryana can take Dhansa, Daurala, Kapashera, Rajokri NH-8, Bijwasan or Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera borders. PTI
You have created history’, Diljit Dosanjh tells protesting farmers at Delhi border
Popular singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh was spotted at Singhu border in the National Capital Region (NCR), extending support to the farmers agitating against the three new farm laws brought in by the central government.
Diljit urged the government to accept the demands of the farmer.
‘I have come here not to speak but to listen to you. I compliment you for having created history. We used to hear tales that inspired us and now we have seen history being created yet again,’Diljit said, addressing the farmers and the media.
“I want to urge the government to accept the demand of farmers. I would also like to urge the media to support us, these farmers are sitting peacefully with their demands, please show that and support us,” he added.
After addressing the crowd in Punjabi, Diljit shared his views in Hindi and said: “(I am) Talking in Hindi so you don’t have to Google.”
He urged the media to show how the farmers are sitting peacefully.
“Show the reality. There is no khoon-kharaba (bloodshed),” he said.
“Muddon ko na bhatkaya jaye. Koi khoon kharabe ki baat (nahi ho rahi hai). Twitter aur bahut sari baatein hoti hain. Ghumate hain. Hum haath jodhke ke yeh vinti karte hain ke yeh hi dhikhaya jaaye, and yeh ke hum sab peaceful baithe hain (there are attempts to divert the issue. There is no violence. We request you to show that things are peaceful here),” he said.
The singer also sat down with the farmers, and spent some time with them.
Diljit’s visit comes after his much-publicised Twitter war with actress Kangana Ranaut earlier this week. IANS
Sons and daughters of farmers win us medals. They are aware that if they had remained tillers of land, they would have lived their lives in obscurity and, in many cases, penury. They are grateful for what sport has given them. And they have their hearts with farmers’ protest
Gurbax Singh Sandhu (L) & Kaur Singh have announced they’d return their awards.
This list, made up almost off the cuff but with some knowledge of their declared histories, is of sportspersons hailing from all corners of India — and Nepal, in one case. They’ve raised India’s flag at international sports events and, hand at heart, whispered the national anthem standing on the podium, watching the Tricolour go up. They have another thing in common — they are sons and daughters of farmers.
Sons and daughters of farmers win us medals in multi-sports events such as the Olympics and Commonwealth and Asian Games. They are aware that if they had remained tillers of land — their own, or someone else’s as farmhands, like their parents — they would have lived their lives in complete obscurity and, in many cases, penury. They are grateful for what sport has given them. And they have their hearts with the farmers’ protest.
Soldier-farmer
Kaur Singh had fought in the 1971 war against Pakistan. He also won a gold medal in boxing in the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi and thus is a true legend — farmer, war hero and sports star. His photograph with Amitabh Bachchan from 1982 — the actor playfully planting a fist on the boxer’s square jaw — stirs memories of his heyday. In his old age, after having served in the Army and in the fields, Kaur Singh found out he had to borrow money to be treated for a heart ailment, and had to be rescued by a handout from the Punjab Government.
Kaur Singh was awarded the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri, and he has decided to return these to show solidarity with the protesting farmers.
A shooter — also a farmer and soldier — once told this writer a tale of him failing to do the right thing. “I once used money that was provided to me for training to repair my home, which was in a bad state, in my village,” he said, with some regret. He thought of it as a minor moral failure, but a failure nonetheless. His story made two things clear — that it’s the sons and daughters of farmers or economically deprived families who opt to become jawans in the Army, and it’s the sons and daughters of farmers or people used to manual labour who join sports that pose extreme physical challenges. In short, they provide food, soldiers and sportspersons to the country.
Over 90 per cent?
Tough sports that require extremely strenuous training don’t attract city-bred kids from privileged backgrounds. The supply to the Indian teams in combat sports such as wrestling, boxing, judo is completely rural — or their practitioners move to a city for coaching — because city kids don’t go for sports that could hurt them badly or leave a mark on their faces. Also, tennis courts, badminton courts or golf courses are available in cities, not in villages.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that over 80 per cent of Indian athletes in Olympics sports are from rural backgrounds, and most of them from farming families or ‘mehnatkash’ households, as Gurbax Singh Sandhu, former national boxing coach, puts it.
Sandhu lives in Patiala, but his father was a farmer in Mohammadpura village in Ludhiana. He coached the national boxing team for well over two decades and it was with him in charge that Indian boxing began to emerge as a force. Sandhu has decided to return the Dronacharya Award he was given in 1998.
Sandhu estimates that well over 80 per cent of sportspersons who join physically punishing sports — including track and field events — are from farmer families or from among those used to manual labour, the ‘mehnatkash’ people. “They are hardy people,” he says. “They work in the fields from their childhood, and are willing to push their physical limits. We can make them train harder.” Boxer Mary Kom from Manipur or kabaddi player Mamatha Poojary from Karnataka, to name two, exemplify this.
At the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, an instructor estimates that more than 90 per cent in the latest batch of coaching trainees are from rural backgrounds — they are from families of farmers or allied fields such as dairy/poultry. He himself is a first-generation non-farmer. “I am from a farming family, and my uncles and cousins still till land,” says the instructor. He says sportspersons are aware of the problems of the farmers — that’s why they’re firmly in solidarity with them.
Need a solution Centre must lower the tempo of acrimony
Another round of talks over the farm laws is scheduled for December 9, a day after the Bharat Bandh call given by the protesting farmers. Saturday’s meeting between the Union ministers and farmers’ leaders, the third of the week and fifth overall, did raise hopes for a brief moment that a solution could be in sight. The Prime Minister’s consultation with Cabinet colleagues hours before was seen as a pointer to a softening of the Centre’s stand, especially since going back or having a relook at decisions it has projected as bold and revolutionary has not been the Modi government’s style. The farm leaders, for now, are refusing to budge over their core demand for repeal of the legislation.
The agitation has been bolstered by a wave of popular support, exemplified by the daily announcements of eminent sportspersons, writers and other people of repute returning national awards. Singers and artistes have lent an emotional chord; many have chosen to mark their presence at the protest sites. A sense of urgency while recognising the scale and scope of the crisis at hand will perhaps force a climbdown to reach a middle ground sooner rather than later. As the negotiations continue, both sides also need to lower the tempo of acrimony. The protest organisers have to double up efforts for maintaining the vibe of a peaceful congregation of citizens otherwise upset and angry. The ruling BJP has an even bigger responsibility, to ensure that a divisive narrative is not allowed to take shape and discourage attempts to discredit dissent.
Rail services have remained paralysed in Punjab for the past over two months as part of the protests, but it took the march towards the national capital for New Delhi to take notice. Now that the protesters are being heard and seen, the Union Agriculture Minister’s appeal to let senior citizens, who have a sizeable presence at the protest sites, and children go home will go unnoticed.
Opposition backs farmers’ Bharat bandh Seeks rollback of ‘retrograde’ agri laws I Stir may spread beyond Delhi, warns Pawar
Vijender Singh with Arjuna and Dronacharya awardees at Singhu border. The boxer has threatened to return the Khel Ratna award if the ‘black’ laws are not revoked. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
Tribune News Service/PTI
New Delhi, December 6
The Congress, NCP, TRS, DMK and the AAP on Sunday joined other opposition parties in extending support to the Bharat bandh on December 8 called by farmer unions, which have been protesting on Delhi’s borders for 11 days, demanding repeal of the new farm laws. The Trinamool Congress, RJD and the Left parties, besides 10 central trade unions, had on Saturday backed the countrywide strike.
NCP chief and former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar warned the Centre that if the deadlock continued, the agitation would not be limited to Delhi and people from across the country would come in support of the protesting farmers.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Pawar led a grouping of 11 opposition parties to issue a statement today, declaring their support for the bandh. “We extend our solidarity with the farmers’ ongoing struggle and extend our support to their call for Bharat bandh, demanding the withdrawal of retrograde agricultural laws and the electricity amendment Bill,” said a statement signed by Sonia Gandhi, Pawar, DMK’s MK Stalin, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, NC’s Farooq Abdullah, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, CPM’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D Raja, CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, All India Forward Bloc’s Debabrata Biswas and RSP’s Manoj Bhattacharya.
The leaders said the farm laws passed in Parliament “in a brazen anti-democratic manner threaten India’s food security… lay the basis for abolition of the MSP and mortgage Indian agriculture and our markets to the caprices of multinational agri-business corporations.”
The opposition leaders asked the Centre to adhere to democratic processes and meet the “legitimate demands of our kisan-annadatas”. Pawar, whose NCP is part of the Congress-led UPA, said farmers from Punjab and Haryana contributed the most to the country’s agriculture. “I hope wisdom dawns on the government and it takes cognisance to resolve the issue. If this stalemate continues, the protest will not be limited to Delhi, but people from every nook and corner of the country will come in support of the protesting farmers,” he said.
Laws illegal, says SC Bar Association chief
Supreme Court Bar Association president Dushyant Dave has termed the Centre’s farm laws “unconstitutional and illegal” and offered his services free of cost to the farmers. The top court has already decided to hear pleas challenging the laws. PTI
Don’t make it a prestige issue: Adhir to PM
Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has urged the PM to repeal the three agri laws without making ‘this a prestige issue.’ He said the ‘anti-farmer’ and corporate-friendly laws would end up “hurting” farmers’ earnings. TNS
Diljit’s Rs1 cr gesture
Chandigarh: Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh has reportedly donated Rs1 cr to purchase woollens for protesters
Panchayat in Mansa dist to return award
Bathinda: The Tamkot village panchayat in Mansa has decided to return the Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puruskar
4 JJP MLAs back stir
Hisar: Four JJP MLAs have announced support to the farmers. They are RK Gautam, Ishwar Singh, Ram Karan Kala and Amarjeet Dhanda
BJP MP Hansraj Hans gheraoed in Moga
Moga: BJP LS member Hansraj Hans was gheraoed by angry farmers here on Sunday
BRO adopts new techniques for controlled blasting in road construction
Amid enhanced scope of work and impetus on improving infrastructure in far-flung areas, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is adopting new techniques for controlled blasting developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) that would be more effective for undertaking construction works in rugged terrain.
Following a memorandum of understanding signed by the BRO with the CSIR’s Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), a team of scientists from the institute undertook a series of field visits and spent several months at various sites to suggest blast designs on various border roads.
According to a senior BRO officer, difficulties faced in rock blasting during the cutting and formation work of roads in high altitude areas, both in the northern as well as north-eastern theatres, is among major reasons for slow progress of construction in the hills.
“Field reports from units responsible for critical border roads, including those in Ladakh, Arunachal and Uttarakhand, have confirmed that controlled blasting techniques developed by the CIMFR has been effective and safe in enhancing the pace of road construction works,” the officer added.
A fresh agreement on ‘Advice on Controlled Blast Design for Excavation of Rock at BRO Road Construction Sites’ was signed between the BRO and the CIMFR a few days ago. The tie-up is for a period of five years which can be extended on mutual consent.
The technology of controlled blasting techniques would enable proper fragmentation of rock and muck. It would ensure that drilling efforts are substantially reduced and the blasting is more controlled and optimum slope stabilisation is achieved.
The progress enhancement due to CSIR-CIMFR technique has been appreciated by the BRO officials and other states, leading to the signing of the current agreement for a period of five years which can be extended further upon mutual understanding.
Blasting, which involves the use of various types and quantities of explosives, is a highly technical and hazardous activity that requires a high degree of planning, task evaluation and impact assessment, a BRO officer said. One of the biggest hazards of blasting is flyrock (fragments of rock that get thrown around) that can pose a danger to the personnel, the equipment or the structures in the vicinity.
“The challenge in controlled blasting is to ensure that fragments and debris are restricted within a specified area through blast design patterns and also to correctly assess the blast induced ground vibration levels and air overpressure in places which are prone to landslides or where built-up structures are present,” the officer said.
The BRO, which is tasked with the construction and maintenance of critical road network in border regions, had stepped up its activities recently to ensure that the lines of communication to forward areas along the border with China remain open.
A number of strategic bridges were also inaugurated this summer and more are in the pipeline.
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