Army chief General Manoj Pande said Thursday that China has increased deployment of troops across India’s eastern border, but the Army is keeping a close watch on their movement and activities and has deployed adequate numbers of troops and reserves to tackle any contingency.
Last month, Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, heightening tensions along the Line of Actual Control.
Addressing the press ahead of Army Day on January 15, General Pande said the Army had modified deployments in line with its winter posture — not only ensuring adequate forces and reserves but also synergising with the local civil administration and integrating resources with the Indian Air Force to maintain the required level of preparedness along the border.
“There has been a slight increase in the number of troops we find opposite our Eastern Command, but we are keeping a close watch on the movement and activities with all surveillance resources available at our disposal,” General Pande said.
Underlining the challenge along India’s northern borders, he said the situation along the LAC with China is stable, but unpredictable.
He said Indian soldiers, deployed along the LAC, have been able to maintain a robust defensive posture and have been able to prevent attempts to unilaterally change the status quo in a firm and resolute manner.
The Army, he said, is closely watching the situation in Doklam and monitoring Chinese activities there.
The Army chief said there has been a marked improvement in India’s border infrastructure development. Of the 6,000 km roads constructed pan-India in the last five years, 2,100km have been along the northern borders.
He said several new bridges along the borders have been constructed and older ones upgraded to carry guns and weapon systems – bridges totalling 7,450 m have been made. More bridges will be built on the Brahmaputra river.
General Pande said there has been a new push for the 1,800-km long frontier road which will connect various valleys in Arunachal Pradesh. Recently, funds have been assigned for the project and some work on it is already underway, he said.
He spoke on achieving all-weather connectivity in Ladakh and the Kameng sector of Arunachal Pradesh. In Ladakh, he said, there is the Zoji La tunnel as well as the Z-Morh tunnel which will provide connectivity to Ladakh through the J&K Valley and that will be completed by the end of this year.
He said as far as connectivity to Leh from the other side is concerned, the Atal tunnel is already there, and the Shinku La tunnel along the Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road is in the final stages of approval. He said with the completion of these projects, all-weather connectivity will be achieved from both sides to Ladakh.
The Tawang sector, he said, will be well connected all through the year once the Sela tunnel is made operational by the middle of this year, and with the Nechiphu tunnel near Bomdila further south.
In addition, there is also a plan for an alternate connectivity to the critical DS-DBO road through Saser La.
“So, there are plans not only for all-weather connectivity but also alternate connectivity (to the forward areas),” he said.
Strategic rail links, he said, are being planned – two in the North East and one in Ladakh. “The final survey has been completed and the source of funding is currently under discussion,” he said.
General Pande said habitats for close to 55,000 troops have been built in eastern Ladakh in the last few years. “There has also been covered heated accommodation for 400 odd guns and 500 A-vehicles,” he said.
Overall, Rs 1,300 crore has been spent in the last three years, focussing on infrastructure and habitat in Ladakh including locally made SHILA (Solar Heated Insulated Ladakhi) shelters, he said, adding that the Army is also looking at more green solutions like fuel cells to meet its energy requirements.
On the existing range of weapon systems and equipment in the Army’s armoury, he said in any force, there are vintage, current and state-of-art equipment coexisting together at a given time.
“For us, it is presently 45 per cent vintage, 41 per cent current and 12-15 per cent state-of-art equipment,” said said, adding that as per the modernisation plans underway, the Army intends to reach a figure of close to 35 per cent current and 44 per cent state-of-art equipment and this will include introduction of niche technologies and upgrading legacy equipment by adding certain contemporary capabilities to them.
On the situation along the Line of Control and western borders, General Pande said the ceasefire agreement reached between India and Pakistan in February 2021 is holding well.
He said a significant reduction in violence parameters has been noticed in this region. He, however, said that cross-border support to terrorism and terror infrastructure continues to remain an issue.
The counter-insurgency grid in the Valley, he said, is strong and there have been instances of infiltration attempts in areas south of the Pir Panjal range, targeted killings of minorities, and trying to take similar efforts further south along the IB in Punjab which has seen use of drones to drop bombs and ammunition.
