The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has successfully completed the construction of a new bridge on the Ravi river. This accomplishment ensures a permanent connection between the Kasowal enclave in Punjab, situated along the India-Pakistan border, and the rest of India. The bridge – 484 meters in length – was built as part of BRO’s Project Chetak.
About Project Chetak
Project Chetak is an initiative of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Launched in June 1962 in Dehradun, the primary goal was to construct the Joshimath-Malari-Rinkin road. The project had been reinvigorated in 1980 with a broader mandate – to expand and improve the road networks and ditch-cum-bunds. The area of jurisdiction for this project extends to the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab.
Significance of the Ravi River
The Ravi River holds special importance as one of the five tributaries feeding into the Indus River, thereby earning the name Punjab, which means “Five Rivers”. The other four tributaries include Jhelum, Chenab, Beas, and Sutlej.
Originating from the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh, India, the Ravi River flows towards the Pakistani border and runs along it for more than 80 km before entering Pakistan’s Punjab province.
As per the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, the waters of the Eastern rivers – Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi – were granted to India for unrestricted use. Meanwhile, Pakistan has unrestricted use of the waters of the Indus and its western tributaries, namely Jhelum and Chenab. India also reserves the right to utilize water from the Western River for domestic non-consumptive uses, run-of-the-river hydroelectric plants, specified agricultural use, and construction of storage works.
Major projects linked to the Ravi River include the Ujh Multipurpose Project (River Ujh being a tributary of the Ravi) and the Shahpurkandi Dam Project.
An Overview of the Border Roads Organisation
The establishment of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) can be traced back to 1960, when it was created by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru with the aim of coordinating rapid development of a network of roads in the North and Northeastern border regions of India.
Functioning under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence, the BRO’s scope of work has expanded significantly over the years to encompass a wide range of construction and development projects. These include airfields, building projects, defence works, and tunneling. The BRO’s commitment to these tasks has earned it widespread recognition and appreciation from the public.