Himank, also styled Project HIMANK, is a project of the

Border Roads Organisation The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a road construction executive force in India that provides support to and is now a part of the Indian Armed Forces. BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring ...

(BRO) in the

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 ...

region of northernmost India that started in August 1985. It is known for constructing some of world's highest motorable roads across the

Khardung La Khardung La () or Khardung Pass is a mountain pass in the Leh district of the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The pass is on the Ladakh Range, north of Leh, and connects the Indus river valley and the Shyok river valley. It also forms the ...

Tanglang La Taglang La or Tanglang La, elevation , is a high altitude mountain pass in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It is located on the NH3 Leh–Manali Highway. Rail-cum-road tunnels are being constructed under the Taglang La, Lungalacha La ...

and

Chang La Chang La is a high mountain pass in Ladakh at an elevation of in the Ladakh Range between Leh and the Shyok River valley. The Chang La, on Leh to Pangong Lake road, lies on the Leh- Karu- Sakti- Zingral-Chang La- Durbuk-Tangtse-Pangong Lake ...

passes.

Umling la Umling La or Umlung La is a mountain pass in Ladakh, India on the ridgeline between Koyul Lungpa and the Indus River near Demchok. At an elevation of , it forms the source for the Umlung stream that drains into the Indus and a tributary of the Kiu ...

is the highest motorable road on Earth with height 5882 metres (19300 feet). It is responsible for constructing and maintaining motorable roads in

, along the

Line of Actual Control The Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the context of the Sino-Indian border dispute, is a notional demarcation lineAnanth KrishnanLine of Actual Control , India-China: the line of actual contest, 13 June 2020: "In contrast, the alignment of ...

. Himank project ensures access to sensitive military areas including the world's highest battleground at the

Siachen Glacier The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas at about , just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends. At long, it is the longest glacier in the Kara ...

and Pangong Tso Lake (at 4420 metres or 14500 feet), whose waters span the

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...

India-China border The Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the context of the Sino-Indian border dispute, is a notional demarcation lineAnanth KrishnanLine of Actual Control , India-China: the line of actual contest, 13 June 2020: "In contrast, the alignment o ...

. Nicknamed "The Mountain Tamers", much of Himank's work is constrained to four months per year, as heavy snow and extreme cold make some roads inaccessible at other times. Between 1987 and 2002, at least 124 Himank personnel were killed while on duty in Ladakh, including five officers. Most of its manual labourers are from

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...

state, not Ladakh. They are nicknamed Dumkas (earlier in the Bihar state and now in the

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...

state), where many of the original Himank workers were recruited.Tribune article 2002
/ref> Himank - Drive slow

Historical landmarks

* Himank constructed the world's highest 86 km motorable road in Ladakh region, between Chisumle and Demchok villages, passing through Umlingla Top at a height of over 19300 feet. *Himank constructed the world's highest

Bailey bridge A Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed in 1940–1941 by the British for military use during the Second World War and saw extensive use by British, Canadian and American military engineering units ...

at Khardung La, though this has been subsequently replaced by a causeway. *Himank's opening of the

Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its ...

-to -

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 ...

highway in May 1999 was a crucial factor in Operation Vijay allowing India to make a timely military response in the

Kargil war The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC). In India, the conflict is also referre ...

. *The

Sasoma–Saser La Road The Sasoma– Sasser La Road or the Sasoma–Saser Pass Road is a road reportedly being built in Ladakh between Nubra and Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO). Being constructed at a height of by the Border Roads Organisation under Project Himank, despite the g ...

will be the "world's first glaciated motorable road" once completed.

Road signs

Project HIMANK is known to post humorous road signs, photos of which are the subject of the book ''Peep Peep Don't Sleep''. Examples include:

I'm curvacious, but please take me slowly.
Better Mr. Late than Late Mr.
Let your insurance policy mature before you.
On the bend go slow friend
Feel the curves / Do not test them
Darling I like you / but not so fast
Safety on road / is “safe tea” / at home
After whisky / driving risky
Don't Gossip Let Him Drive
If you are married, divorce speed
Don't be a Gama in the land of Lama.
Way of worship may be different but GOD is One.

Other Himank signboards, notably those in the

Nubra Valley Nubra, also called Dumra, is a historical region of Ladakh, India that is currently administered as a subdivision and a tehsil in the Leh district. Its inhabited areas form a tri-armed valley cut by the Nubra and Shyok rivers. Its Tibetan name ...

, offer philosophical statements from those as disparate as singer

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

, French author

Jules Renard Pierre-Jules Renard (; 22 February 1864 – 22 May 1910) was a French author and member of the Académie Goncourt, most famous for the works '' Poil de carotte'' (Carrot Top, 1894) and ''Les Histoires Naturelles'' (Nature Stories, 1896). Among ...

, author

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffe ...

and early Zionist

Jessie Sampter Jessie Sampter (March 22, 1883 – 1938) was a Jewish educator, poet, and Zionist pioneer. She was born in New York City and immigrated to Palestine in 1919. Biography Jessie Ethel Sampter was born in New York City to Rudolph Sampter, a New ...

.see photos

References

External links

HIMANK page on the BRO websiteHIMANK road Signs
{{coord missing, Ladakh Government agencies established in 1985 Transport in Ladakh 1985 establishments in Jammu and Kashmir Border Roads Organisation

Historical landmarks

Road signs

See also

References

External links