The Border Road Organization (BRO) has executed snow clearance works on 149 roads (of 3,965 kilometres) in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
This ensured rapid and early movement of troops and logistics to forward areas in 2019-20, said Lt Gen Harpal Singh, BRO Director General.
This was informed in a review meeting on Border Roads chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Tuesday.
“Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh chaired a high level meeting here today to review the progress of various infrastructure projects under construction in border areas. The meeting was also attended by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and other senior officials of the Ministry,” government official said.
The state of forward connectivity to border areas was reviewed and the consistent need of boosting the ongoing projects and to expedite the construction of strategic roads, bridges and tunnels in the border areas was discussed.
The defence minister has informed that Border Roads has executed 30 per cent more works in financial year (FY) 2019-20 as compared to FY 2018-19.
The BRO has worked incessantly even during the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 without affecting the progress of various projects.
Despite unprecedented snowfall, breaking 60 year old record, all strategic passes and roads were cleared this year for traffic about one month before their average yearly opening dates, official said.
While complementing the BRO for its achievements, Raksha Mantri exhorted it to continue its work to achieve even greater laurels.
The Border Roads has also inducted latest equipment and machines and has introduced modern construction methods after successful trials to expedite works on surfacing with cementations base, use of plastics, geo textiles, etc and various techniques for slope stabilisation.
Further to revolutionise the bridge laying capabilities in forward areas, trials have also been carried out successfully for indigenously produced modular bridges in collaboration with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.