India-China Border Roads (ICBRs, ICB Roads) is a

Government of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

project for developing infrastructure along the Sino-Indian border by constructing strategic roads, including bridges and tunnels. The ICBR project is largely in response to Chinese infrastructure development along the borderlands with India. As of May 2021, India is constructing at least 177 roads in two phases of over total length along its Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China under the "Border Infrastructure and Management Fund" (BIMF) of

Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

. This includes 73 roads of length under ICBR-I (Phase-I) approved in 2005 and additional 104 roads of more than length under ICBR-II (Phase-II) approved in 2020. India has set up an inter-departmental "Empowered Committee" (EC) headed by the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...

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. Several entities are responsible for constructing ICBR, including Border Roads Organisation (BRO) which handles the bulk of the ICBR road construction work, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDNER),

Central Public Works Department The Central Public Works Department (Hindi: केंद्रीय लोक निर्माण विभाग), commonly referred to as the CPWD, is a premier Central Government authority in charge of public sector works. The Central Public ...

(CPWD), public works departments of respective states and others. At least 67 per cent of the road network assigned to BRO falls under ICBR. By March 2021, of the 61 ICBR-I roads assigned to BRO, connectivity on 59 roads () or 95+ per cent of the total length had been achieved and among these 42 () have been black topped.

About

Darcha Padum Road Below Shinku La Lahaul Oct22 A7C 03533

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 Standing Committee on Defence (SCOF) is usually a parliamentary committee of parliaments of nations following a parliamentary system A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or su ...

, 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:

(February 2019
Fiftieth Report: Provision of all weather road connectivity under Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and other agencies up to International borders as well as the strategic areas including approach roads- An appraisal.
Ministry of Defence, Lok Sabha Secretariat, Government of India
Archived
from the original on 19 June 2020. Reasons such as climate, geography, land acquisition and natural disasters also accounted for the delays. In 2013 the

United Progressive Alliance United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is a centre-left political alliance of predominantly left-leaning political parties in India. It was formed after the 2004 general election with support from left-leaning political parties when no single pa ...

(UPA) government took multiple administrative decisions to speed up construction. The

2017 Doklam standoff Seventeen or 17 may refer to: *17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18 * one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017 Literature Magazines * ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine * ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...

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 or Phase-1

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 roads assigned to BRO, connectivity on 59 roads of 3,205.16 km length have been achieved. Of these 61 roads where connectivity has been achieved, 42 roads of 1,530.38 km have been paved with the black top.

ICBR-II or Phase-2

ICBR-II 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. ICBR-II 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. As of 2021, in Arunachal Pradesh under the ICBR-II India is building 57 roads, 32 helipads, 47 BoPs, 12 staging camps for

ITBP The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is a border patrol organization of India deployed along its borders with Tibet Autonomous Region. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces, established in 1962 in the aftermath of the Sino-Indi ...

and many 18 ft tracks.

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 to . Annual funding was as follows: INR 11,800 crore in 2020–21, INR 8,050 crore in 2019–20, INR 6,700 crore in 2018–19, INR 5450 crore in 2017–18, between INR 3,300 crore to INR 4,600 crore 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.

(February 2021
Defence Committee Action Taken Report
Lok Sabha Secretariat, Parliament of India
Archived
on 27 August 2021. The work structure for the ICBRs is divided among different agencies including the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC),

(CPWD), National Projects Construction Corporation (NPCC) and state public works departments.

List of ICB Roads

Phase 1

Phase-I consists of 3812 km roads.

Key

* Maplink: Interactive map with road. *OSM ID: Provides a link to road on

OpenStreetMap OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a free, open geographic database updated and maintained by a community of volunteers via open collaboration. Contributors collect data from surveys, trace from aerial imagery and also import from other freely licensed g ...

(OSM) in the form of a relation. *Status: Status does not represent current state of the road. *Length: Present / planned *Comments and citation: Further information about the road including bridges and tunnels.

Arunachal Pradesh

In Arunachal Pradesh the ICBR project, in coordination with other government programmes, has connected a number of border outposts and frontier areas to the national highway network such as Kharsang La, Taksing, Lamang, Gelling, Kibithu and Dichu. Major road projects in Arunachal Pradesh include the ' Sela Pass project' which consists of the under construction Sela Tunnel.

Uttarakhand

In Uttarakhand, the border most points of

Pulam Sumda Pulam Sumda is a small hilly village which lies in Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand, India. Pulam Sumda is a part of Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand, India, and claimed by Zanda County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet, China.http://www.indiand ...

, Mana Pass, Niti Pass, Lapthal and Rimkhim, and

Lipulekh Lipulekh () is a Himalayan pass in Kalapani territory is on the border of India, Nepal and China. It is one of the routes for the pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar in Tibet, China. Tourism This pass links the Byans valley of Uttar ...

have been connected.

Ladakh

The forward most localities and border outposts of

Daulat Beg Oldie Daulat Beg Oldi (also Oldie, DBO) is a traditional campsite and current military base located in the midst of the Karakoram Range in northern Ladakh, India. It is on the historic trade route between Ladakh and Central Asia, forming the last ca ...

(DBO),

Hotspring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by ci ...

, Demchok and Zursar have been connected. Roads connectivity has reduced their reliance on air transport.

Sikkim

Related geo-strategic projects

Geostrategic initiatives include the Andaman and Nicobar Command and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.

Border airport and ALG projects

The

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the China, People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five Military branch, service branches: the People's ...

's Western Theater Command is responsible for the defense of China along the whole line of actual control with India. The Indian Armed Forces has divided the LAC into 3 sectors - the ''western sector'' across

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu a ...

and the Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin, the ''central sector'' across

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several pea ...

and

Uttrakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

, and the ''eastern sector'' across

Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Sil ...

and

Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (, ) is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares ...

. Similarly, the

Indian Airforce The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial wa ...

has the

Prayagraj Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the admini ...

-based

Central Air Command ''Nigrahya Rasava shastrava'' , colors = , colors_label = , battles = 1962 Sino-Indian War, East Pakistan Operations 1971, Operation Meghdoot, Orissa Super-Cyclone Relief, 1999 , anniversaries = , commander1 = Air Marshal Amar Preet Sin ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

-based Western Air Command, and

Shillong Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a ...

-based Eastern Air Command to cover the LAC. *

airports and advanced landing grounds (ALGs) at Daulat Beg Oldi,

Fukche Fukche Advanced Landing Ground is an airfield in the Demchok sector of the union territory of Ladakh, India. It was built shortly before the 1962 Sino-Indian War and was revived in 2008. It is located adjacent to Koyul, 34 km northwest of De ...

Leh Leh () ( lbj, ) is the joint capital and largest city of Ladakh, a union territory of India. Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh, the seat of which was in the Leh Palace, the former ...

, Nyoma, Padum,

Thoise Thoise or Thoise Airbase is a military airfield and small village in Nubra region of Ladakh, India, occupying the only large piece of flat land in the area. The airstrip is a critical facility enabling a quick inflow of men and material from the ...

and the proposed

Parma Valley Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second m ...

ALG. *

shares 250 km border with China. Airports include

Shimla Airport Shimla Airport is a regional airport located in Jubbarhatti, from Shimla, in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Kingfisher Airlines used to operate the sole daily flight from Delhi, but could not carry more than 28 passengers on its ...

, Kullu-Manali Airport, and the proposed Rangrik. *

has 350 km border with Tibet. Airports and ALGs include

Chinyalisaur Airport Chinyalisaur Airport, also known as Maa Ganga Airport and Dharasu Airport or Bharkot Airport, is located in Chinyalisaur of Uttarkashi district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The airport is situated 35 kilometres away from Uttarkashi and 8 ...

and Pithoragarh Airport ALG. *

consists of the Pakyong Airport ALG. *

has a number of airports and ALGs at Aalo, Mechuka,

Pasighat Pasighat is the headquarters of East Siang district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Situated at the eastern foothills of the Himalayas at above mean sea level, Pasighat is Arunachal's oldest town. The Government of India included Pa ...

, Tawang Air Force Station, Tuting, Vijoynagar,

Walong Walong is an administrative town and the headquarters of eponymous circle in the Anjaw district in eastern-most part of Arunachal Pradesh state in India. It also has a small cantonment of the Indian Army. Walong is on banks of Lohit River, which ...

, Ziro, Daporijo,

and the proposed Alinye (ALG),

Border bridge projects

* Teesta River road bridge in Sikkim, already completed in 2020 will serve Doklam sector. *

Teesta River Teesta River is a long river that rises in the Pauhunri Mountain of eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal through Rangpur, and enters the Bay of Bengal. It drains an area of . In India, it flows throug ...

railway bridge, under construction in July 2020 and on target for completion by December 2020. * New bridges on Brahmaputra River in Assam will serve Arunachal Pradesh in Eastern Sector.

Border railway projects

India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has identified at least 15 new geostrategic rail lines to be constructed near the

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

and

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...

borders for troop deployments. In comparison, China has built lines up to

Shigatse Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê (; Nepali: ''सिगात्से''), is a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Its area of jurisdiction, with an area of , corresponds to the histo ...

in Tibet, with plans to connect it to Nepal and further to India. After these lines were proposed by the ministry of defense in 2013, the

approved the initial surveys of all 14 lines in 2014, Some of these as well as other related projects are as follows:

Other border road projects

* Ladakh-Himachal-Uttrakhand **

Char Dham Highway Char Dham National Highway, is an under construction two-lane (in each direction) express National Highway with a minimum width of 10 metres in the Indian state of Uttarakhand under Char Dham Pariyojana . The under construction highway will co ...

, not part of ICBR ** Pooh– Chumar Road & Harsil- Kharcham Road. Both were announced in September 2020 in addition to the ICBR phase 1, and each will cost between INR2,000 cr to INR3,000 cr.Modi govt’s infra push along China border — 2 new roads, alternate route to Daulat Beg Oldie
The Print, 15 sept 2020. * Sikkim ** Bagrakote-

Gangtok Gangtok is a city, municipality, the capital and the largest populated place of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is also the headquarters of the Gangtok District. Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayan range, at an elevation of . The city's populat ...

Highway: 250 km-long road originating from NH17 (NH31 as per old numbering) near Bagrakote in the

Dooars The Dooars or Duars ( as, দুৱাৰ, duar, rkt, দুৱাৰ, duar, bn, দুয়ার, duyar) () are the alluvial floodplains in eastern-northeastern India that lie south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas and north of the ...

to Gangtok is being upgraded to national highway standard in July 2020 by the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited. It passes through

Algarah Algarah (also known as Algarah Bazar) is a town in Lava CD block in the Kalimpong subdivision of the Kalimpong district of West Bengal, India. The town lies on National Highway-717A connecting Bagrakote to Gangtok. Geography Location Alga ...

Lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or ...

Rishyap Rishyap is a village in the Kalimpong II CD block in the Kalimpong subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Rishyap is also spelt as Rishop. Rishyap was developed as a tourist destination recently in 1998. T ...

(in West Bengal on Sikkim border)- Rhenock- Rorathang- Pakyong-

Ranipool Ranipool is a small suburban town located in the bank of river Ranikhola at the junction of National Highway 10 and National Highway 717A in Gangtok District of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is 12 km before from Gangtok main town. It ...

to Gangtok. In addition to the existing landslide-prone NH10 Sevoke-Gangtok Highway, this will provide alternate access to the state capital Gangtok and beyond to the India-China border. * Arunachal Pradesh ** Arunachal Frontier Highway, proposed along the India-China border and is not part of ICBR. ** Arunachal East-West Corridor, proposed across the foothills of lower upper Arunachal Pradesh, not part of ICBR. **

Trans-Arunachal Highway The Trans-Arunachal Highway (TAH), which includes an existing route comprising NH-13 () and parts of NH-15 (), NH-215 () and SH-25, is an under-construction 2-lane more than long highway passing through 16 districts in Arunachal Pradesh st ...

, existing operational highway.

Border tunnel projects

As of sept 2021, India is constructing 31 road tunnels (up from 17 tunnels of 100km total length planned in 2017), 20 in J&K and 11 in Ladakh, at the combined cost of INR1.4 lakh crore (~US$17.5 billion), this includes tunnels constructed by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).Zojila, Z-Morh tunnels: All you need to know about
Economic Times, 30 Sept 2021. As of November 2022, of the projects assigned to BRO, 5 were complete, 8 were under construction, 11 were in planning and DPR phase, the rest have been assigned to other entities.CITY Border Roads Organisation blazes a trail in most testing conditions
Times of India, 18 nov 2022. Some of these tunnels have dual road and rail usage. BRO has been constructing tunnels the strategic ICBR roads on Sino-Indian border to provide the year-round all-weather connectivity. Without these tunnels, the road access to high altitude posts on Sino-India border is closed for six months every year due to snowfall and rain, and supplies are through airlift only. These tunnels will reduce the travel time and operational costs, and eliminate the risk of avalanche and landslide. List of tunnels, from west to east along the Indo-Chinese border, is as follows:

Sea ports and waterways projects

Sagarmala The Sagarmala Programme () is an initiative by the Government of India to enhance the performance of the country's logistics sector. The programme envisages unlocking the potential of waterways and the coastline to minimize infrastructural inv ...

port development project and the National Waterways projects will also enhance geostrategic capabilities along LAC and elsewhere. Waterway projects in Assam on Brahmaputra River and its tributaries are of geostrategic importance for the movement of military assets, these include

National Waterway 2 National Waterway 2 (NW-2) is a section of the Brahmaputra River having a length of 891 km between the Bangladesh border near Dhubri and Sadiya in Assam. History It was declared as National Waterway No. 2 on 1 September 1988. Development ...

and

Subansiri River The Subansiri River; is a trans- Himalayan river and a tributary of the Brahmaputra River that flows through Tibet's Lhünzê County, Shannan Prefecture and the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. The Subansiri is long, with a dra ...

Under-river tunnel

Gohpur–Numaligarh under-river tunnel, is an under construction tunnel under the Brahmaputra river.

Mobile and internet connectivity

In June 2020, it was announced that 54 villages in the Ladakh region; including the Demchok is among the 19 in Kargil, 11 in Zanskar and 7 in Nubra Valley; will receive mobile phone connectivity from Jio via the satellite connected towers under the Universal Service Obligation Funding (USOF) programme.

Radars

* Uttarakhand ** Doppler radar at Mukteshwar and

Surkanda Devi Surkanda Devi is a Hindu temple near Kanatal, Uttarakhand, India. It is at an altitude of about 2756 metres lies close to nearby hill stations of Dhanaulti () and Chamba () walking distance of approx from Kaddukhal, the place where vehicles ...

** Air defence radars, under construction, at Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Uttarkashi

Northeast connectivity projects

* Northeast Connectivity projects * Look-East Connectivity projects * North-South and East-West Corridor * India-Myanmar-Thailand Friendship Highway * BCIM Economic Corridor *

Asian Highway Network The Asian Highway Network (AH), also known as the Great Asian Highway, is a cooperative project among countries in Asia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to improve their connectivity via hi ...

* List of bridges on Brahmaputra River