From Tunnels To Airbases: How India Is Fortifying Himalayas To Face Any Clash With China | World News

New Delhi: At the top of the Himalayas, with their icy peaks and brutal valleys, India is swapping borders with China. Roads are being built in the mountains, tunnels are piercing the rocks, bridges are rising over the gorges, and airstrips are being built where there was once only silence. This massive construction move is not a routine development. This is a preparation born from the hard lessons learned from the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict. It aims to ensure that India is never caught off guard again.

According to a recent report by The Wall Street Journal, India is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to strengthen infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This marks a change in the country’s defense posture. The goal is faster troop movement, reliable supply lines and the ability to respond immediately to any tensions on the Chinese border.

The backbone of this effort is the Border Roads Organization (BRO). By 2025, its budget has increased to approximately $810 million. Thousands of kilometers of roads are under construction, as well as dozens of helipads and numerous airports. Engineers and workers work in extreme conditions—poor weather, sub-zero temperatures, and challenging terrain—pushing machines and bodies to their limits.

Lessons from Galwan

The turning point came in June 2020, when Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed and China also suffered casualties.

This was the first deadly conflict along the border in 45 years, without the use of firearms but with brutal hand-to-hand combat. The incident revealed a critical imbalance.

China had spent decades building dense networks of roads, railways and military installations in Tibet and Xinjiang. This allowed the People’s Liberation Army to move its soldiers and equipment to the border within a few hours. India, on the other hand, struggled with poor connectivity and often took days to reach forward positions.

Major General Amrit Pal Singh, former chief of operational logistics, described what followed as a moment of reckoning. “It was a dramatic change in thinking. We had to change our entire approach,” he said.

India has avoided building a road near the border for years out of fear it could help an occupying power. Galwan shattered this assumption.

Mega Projects in the Mountains

One of the most ambitious projects is the Zoji La tunnel, built at an altitude of approximately 11,500 feet. The tunnel, which is 14 kilometers long and costs over $750 million, will provide access to Ladakh in all weather conditions.

Until now, heavy snowfall had caused the region to be cut off from the rest of the country for months each year. Once completed, the tunnel will shorten travel time and ensure the uninterrupted movement of military supplies and civilian essential supplies.

Air connectivity is also expanding rapidly. Located at an altitude of around 14,000 feet and just 30 kilometers from the Chinese border, Nyoma air base in Ladakh is being developed to handle large aircraft such as C-130J. Its location gives it tremendous strategic value. More than 30 helipads have been built in border areas and many airstrips are being built or improved.

In Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand, new roads and bridges are improving access to remote areas. Recently, 125 BRO projects have been opened, including the strategically important Shyok tunnel and several high-altitude bridges.

Supplying Soldiers to the Roof of the World

Despite these advances, logistics at extreme altitudes remains a challenge. The Wall Street Journal reported that the supplies were transported by rail and trucks to warehouses in Jammu and Kashmir and then moved in convoys to Leh. From there, smaller vehicles come into play, and the final leg (usually above 20,000 feet) is covered by porters and pack animals.

Former Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General (Retd) DS Hooda explained the extent of the effort. “This is a massive logistics operation that takes place every year,” he said.

Each soldier needs about 220 pounds (about 100 kilograms) of supplies each month. A small outpost consumes about 13 gallons of fuel per day, almost all of which must be transported by hand or mule across enemy terrain.

From ‘Red Carpet’ Fears to Solid Deterrence

For years, India’s strategic thinking was influenced by the fear that building wide roads near the border would mean rolling out the red carpet for the enemy’s advance. The change in mindset began in the mid-2000s, particularly as China rapidly expanded infrastructure in Tibet and Xinjiang.

Risks still exist. More patrols and better access could increase friction in disputed areas such as Pangong Tso, where disengagement agreements exist but both armies maintain a presence. Still, Indian officials see this increase not as a race with China, but as a deterrent factor.

“We are not going to extremes,” Major General Amrit Pal Singh said, emphasizing the official line that the goal is stability through force.

Strategic Change with Wider Impact

This Himalayan construction drive signals a fundamental change in India’s defense strategy. This is not just about military preparedness, but also about integrating border areas into the national economy and improving the lives of local communities. It also underscores the reality of rising tensions between two nuclear-armed neighbors.

As tunnels push deeper into the mountains and planes land closer to the border, India is sending the message that it is determined to ensure it will never again be slowed down or unprepared for a conflict by terrain along the LAC.