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India–China Border Roads

Indian government project to develop border roads

  • 12 min read
  • 3 chapters

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Three phases of ICBR roads have been approved entailing 177 roads of over 10,023 km (6,228 mi) total length along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China under the "Border Infrastructure and Management Fund" (BIMF) of Ministry of Home Affairs, including 73 roads of 3,323 km (2,065 mi) length under Phase-I and Phase-II approved since 2005 and additional 104 roads of more than 6,700 km (4,200 mi) length under ICBR-III approved in 2020. As of August 2024, the work on Phase-III had commenced, and the Phase-I and Phase-II were complete except some residual work from Phase-II. ICBR covers construction of several roads, 18 feet wide foot tracks and border out posts (BoPs) connecting several LAC Patrol Points (PP) and Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) points. For example, in 2021 India was building 57 roads, 32 helipads, 47 BoPs, 12 staging camps for ITBP and many 18 ft tracks in Arunachal Pradesh under various ICBR phases.

India has set up an inter-departmental "Empowered Committee" (EC) headed by the Ministry of Defence to expedite the issue resolution and timely completion of ICBR infrastructure after the delay in forest/wildlife clearance and land acquisition, rugged terrain, limited working season due to winter and rains, scarcity of construction material, etc. resulted in the missed deadlines in the past. Some of the important already completed projects include the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie Road (DS-DBO) and Atal Tunnel under Rohtang Pass; and the under-construction important projects include the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh and a road-cum-rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra River in Assam.

Overview

Strategic infrastructure requirements

In the wake of heightened road and track construction work undertaken by China along India's northern and eastern frontiers, India constituted a China Study Group (CSG) in 1997, to study the requirement of road communication, along the China border for brisk movement of troops in the event of armed conflict. At the end of the study, the CSG identified a network of 73 roads, called the India–China Border Roads (ICBR), to be developed along the Indo-China border. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in 1999 approved the construction of these roads by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under the Ministry of Defence. The project was to be completed by 2006 but the deadline was then extended to 2012. The Standing Committee on Defence, a body for legislative oversight, appraised strategic road connectivity in 2018. With regard to the slow pace of construction of border roads, the Border Roads Organisation stated to the committee:

It would not be incorrect to say that few years back the philosophy of our nation was that we should not make roads as near to the border as possible. That philosophy is telling today very clearly as to why we do not have roads. It is only couple of years back that we suddenly decided a change of philosophy and said no, we must go as far forward as possible. It is going to take time. Unfortunately, the time cannot be compressed. Whatever we can do, it will take time.

— BRO, 50th Report, Standing Committee on Defence (2018–19)

Reasons such as climate, geography, land acquisition and natural disasters also accounted for the delays. In 2013 the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government took multiple administrative decisions to speed up construction. The 2017 Doklam Standoff further raised the profile of the issue with the Modi government for border infrastructure along the China border. ICBRs are present in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Border Infrastructure Management Authority (BIMA)

In May 2022, Indian govt sources announced establishment of the Border Infrastructure Management Authority (BIMA) which is responsible for the integrated development of the border areas including road, rail, water, power, communications infrastructure, and the Vibrant Village Program for improvement of living conditions of natives in these areas to prevent their out-migration as the border villages are considered strategic assets.

ICBR project phases

ICBR-I (Phase-1) and ICBR-II (Phase-2)

Phase-1 or ICBR-1 project was conceived in 1999 with a target completion date of 2012 to construct 73 strategic ICBRs of nearly 4000 km length. It was approved in 2005. Of the 73 ICBR in Phase-1, the construction of 61 roads was assigned to BRO and remaining 12 to CPWD. Of the 61 roads assigned to BRO, 12 roads of 1,064.14 km length in Ladakh, 5 roads of 116.99 km length in Himachal Pradesh, 14 roads of 355 km length in Uttarakhand, 3 roads of 61.98 km length in Sikkim, and 27 roads of 1,725.46 km length are in Arunachal Pradesh. ICBR-I is seen as a successor of BRO's Project HIMANK which was initiated in 1985 for the construction of border roads in Ladakh.

As of March 2021, of the 61 ICBR-I and ICBR-II roads assigned to BRO, connectivity on 59 roads of 3,205.16 km length had been achieved. Of these 61 roads where connectivity has been achieved, 42 roads of 1,530.38 km have been black topped.

ICBR-III or Phase-3

ICBR-III was approved in 2020–21 fiscal budget, to construct additional 104 roads of more than 6,700 km length. The proposal for the Phase 2 was first conceived in 2013 with the goal of constructing 32 roads along the border, expanded version of which was approved in 2020 with inclusion of additional roads. Amid the India-China skirmishes, the government asked all bodies to speed up the construction of the roads. Additional labour was also sent to these areas to assist in speeding up construction.

BIMF funding and progress of construction

ICBR infrastructure is funded by the "Border Infrastructure and Management Fund" (BIMF) which provides funding for India's border infrastructures along Bangladesh, Pakistan and China borders.

Spending on ICBR tripled between 2016 and 2020, from ₹4,600 crore (equivalent to ₹59 billion or US$610 million in 2026) to ₹11,800 crore (equivalent to ₹150 billion or US$1.6 billion in 2026). Annual funding was as follows: INR 118 billion in 2020–21, INR 80.50 billion in 2019–20, INR 67 billion in 2018–19, INR 54.50 billion in 2017–18, between INR 33 billion to INR 46 billion annually from 2008 to 2016.

Due to significantly increased annual funding, the ICBR construction picked up pace after 2014:

  • Road length construction completed: 4,764 km roads during 2014–20 versus 3,610 km during 2008–14.
  • Mountain formation-cutting completed: 470 km during 2017–20 versus 230 km during 2008–17.
  • Surface-clearing completed: 380 km during 2017–20 versus 170 km roads during 2008–17.
  • Bridges completed: 14,450 metres length during 2014–20 versus 7,270 metres during 2008–14.
  • Road tunnels completed: 6 tunnels during 2014–20 including Atal Tunnel at Rohtang Pass in the Himachal Pradesh versus 1 tunnel during 2008–14.

Funds were also diverted from "General Staff (GS) roads" to ICBRs.

Types of ICBRs

Of the 73 ICBR of 3812 km, 61 of 3323.57 km were assigned to BRO, which have been subdivided based on their usage type. China Study Group had identified roads vital for defending the whole LAC at national level. Ministry of Defence had identified sub-national level inter-state and regional roads vital for larger military logistics, which were assigned to CPWD and state PWDs. ITBP which mans the forward staging areas and frontier posts on the LAC had identified strategic roads to connect the individual posts to the main trunk and arterial roads. Other roads include connecting inter state and state level. The work structure for the ICBRs is divided among different agencies including the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC), Central Public Works Department (CPWD), National Projects Construction Corporation (NPCC) and state public works departments.

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