BRO dedicates 75 projects to improve border infrastructure nationwide

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) completes 75 road and bridge projects across 11 states, enhancing connectivity in distant places despite tough conditions.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will officially inaugurate and dedicate 75 infrastructure projects built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at a cost of ₹ 2236 crore to the nation on Saturday, providing a significant boost to border infrastructure. These projects have been built in 11 border states/UTs across the country, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Border Roads Organisation in Sikkim will host a ceremony, the defence minister will launch 22 roads, 51 bridges, and two other miscellaneous projects.

Of these projects, 19 have been built in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, 11 in the state of Ladakh, 18 in Arunachal Pradesh, 9 in Uttarakhand, 6 in Sikkim, 5 in Himachal Pradesh, 2 in West Bengal and Rajasthan, and 1 in Nagaland, Mizoram, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Notably, BRO completed the construction of these essential strategic projects at record speed, with several of them built in a single working season employing the latest technologies. The working season is limited due to winter and road closures. These infrastructure projects were built in harsh weather conditions and remote locations.

The opening of Kupup Sherathang Road in Sikkim would be a highlight because it serves as a vital link between Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg and the Zuluk axis. It provides an additional route critical for Army troops, allowing the transfer of personnel and machinery. BRO’s boom in road and bridge construction in recent years has resulted in the completion of several essential and strategic projects, bolstering our defence preparedness in comparison to our adversaries, BRO states.

As of 2024, BRO has dedicated 111 infrastructure projects to the nation. The Nation received 125 infrastructure projects in 2023. BRO was founded in 1960 and specialises in the construction and maintenance of key roadways, as well as allied defence and military infrastructure. According to reports from the BRO, “With this, the connectivity in the remote border areas has increased manifold and will help in improving the defence preparedness in these strategic areas and will also bring socio-economic development in the region.” This year, 36 infrastructure projects of the BRO worth ₹ 1508 crore have already been dedicated to the nation, including the state-of-the-art Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9, 2024, for a total of 111 infrastructure projects worth ₹ 3751 crore. Two tunnels in Arunachal Pradesh, Sela and Nechiphu Tunnel, have also been built in recent years to connect the country’s farthest and most distant settlements.

Last year, 125 BRO infrastructural projects were dedicated to the nation for ₹ 3611 crore. There is tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. In addition, there is a standoff along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, with both sides deploying strong troops. In the last five years, BRO completed 450 infrastructure projects worth more than ₹16,000 crore, and this year, in 2024, with these 75 infra projects, BRO has dedicated a record 111 infrastructure projects to the country. He admired the accomplishment of completing these 75 infrastructure projects at such a rapid speed this year.

In Sikkim, BRO has completed ten bridges and six roads over the last five years. In Ladakh, work on the world’s highest tunnel, the Sinkula Tunnel, is currently underway, providing a continuous route to Leh throughout the year, and BRO has made great progress on Indo-China Border routes and other key routes. Work on key strategic highways in Ladakh is underway.

9