Indo-China Border Roads (ICBR) Project

The India-China Border Roads project is a program for developing infrastructure along the Sino-Indian border. The ICBR project is the successor to the HIMANK project, which was launched in the year 1985 to build a border road in Ladakh. India has launched the India China Border Road Project to keep up with the development of China along the border. China has improved the infrastructure of the Tibet Autonomous Region by building five air force bases and a 58,000-kilometer rail network.

Highlights

As of the year 2021, the Government of India plans to build a 10,023 km road in two stages as part of the project. The funds available for the project come from border infrastructure and management funds which is managed by the Home Affairs Ministry. Fund spending tripled between the years 2016 and 2020.

Phase 1

Phase I of the ICBR Project started in the year 2005. After that, it was launched under the supervision of the Home Affairs Ministry. 73 streets were planned for this phase. Of these, 61 were assigned to the BRO (Border Roads Organization) and 12 were assigned to the CPWD (Central Office of Public Works). Fifty-nine of these roads are expected to be completed by March 2021. They are 3,205 kilometers long. The construction cost was 912 million rupees. Some of the main projects in this phase are the Darbuk-Shayok Daulat Beg Oldie Road and Rohtang Tunnel. It also includes the Sela Tunnel and railway tunnel under the River Brahmaputra. The remaining roads should be completed by the year 2023.

Phase 2

As part of Phase II of the ICBR Project which was approved during 2020-21, ITBP plans to build 32 roads and 18-foot rails. In the month of February 2021, the Union Cabinet released 1100 crore rupees and completed Phase II of the ICBR Project. In the state of Arunachal Pradesh alone, 12 rally camps, 57 roads, 32 helipads will be built.

Engineering Wing of ICBR project

In the month of November 2021, the Indian-Tibetan Border Police used a professional engineering wing to build specific sidewalks and roads along the actual lines of control. The tracks are being built in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. These tracks are used by the military for patrols. A road will be built connecting the border stanchions with the actual control line.

As a general rule, only the CPWD and the Border Roads Organization are used to construct border roads. However, the Engineering Wing was involved in accelerating connectivity projects at Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh posts. The engineering department plans and oversees the entire work. It also supervises workers and craftsmen. In remote and highlands, it is difficult to secure contractors and construction workers. These roads are of great importance to the Indian Army for logistics as well as transporting troops.

This wing is responsible for structures such as office buildings and homes, power plants border stanchions and solar lights, water heaters, Micro hydel power projects and greenhouses in snowy areas.