Army engineers have finished a 60-metre bridge over Galwan river in eastern Ladakh that may consolidate India’s your hands on the sensitive sector by allowing Indian infantry to maneuver all over the cold mountain river and even protect the 255 km strategic road from Darbuk to Daulat Beg Oldie, the very last military post just south from the Karakoram Pass, top officials told Hindustan Times. The bridge was built via the formation engineers inspite of the PLA showing hostile moves in the region to force Indian Army to abandon the project.
The construction of the strategic bridge was seen as one of the triggers for the aggressive maneuvers by China’s People’s Liberation Army in eastern Ladakh that led to the standoff between the two countries before Western Theatre Command of PLA made an “exaggerated” claim to the entire Galwan river Valley.
A senior government official said the bridge was completed on Thursday, signalling which the border infrastructure upgrade projects being executed via the formation engineers as well as the Border Roads Organisation continue regardless of the PLA’s attempts to stall them.
The 4-span bridge is located three kilometres east of the Shyok river-Galwan river confluence with the contested Patrolling Point 14 another 2 km east with the Bailey bridge. Patrolling point 14, that has been the site of your June 15 fisticuffs, is close to the Y-junction where the Galwan rivulet joins the main river. An Indian army base camp, called ‘120 km camp’ is in the confluence of these two rivers and near the DSDBO road.
“We failed to pause concentrate on this bridge from the stand-off and kept working regardless of the violent face-off on June 15,” a senior army officer said.
Chinese People tall claim of holding the entire Galwan river valley is definitely an try to reduce the Indian claim line to the Shyok river. If this happens, then the Chinese can overrun the DSDBO road in times of hostility and cut the road to Dault Beg Oldie. The last Indian village before DBO, this will allow them to open another road to Pakistan via Murgo.
The Bailey bridge built on concrete pillars gives India a serious advantage in terms of access and military mobilisation and is also considered vital to protection of indian strategic interests. With Indian Army vehicles now having the ability to cross the Galvan River, the troops now have other military possibilities from the aggressive PLA in the case of worst scenario. The bridge replaces a footbridge about the Galwan River.
