MoRTH expedites work on 290-km long HP-Ladakh road

India has expedited work on a road linking Darcha in HP with Ladakh crisscrossing a number of high-altitude snow-bound passes. The 290-km-long road will be crucial for the movement of the troops and heavy weaponry into the frontier bases of the Ladakh region and will provide a link to the Kargil region. It will be the third road link to Ladakh after the other two roads: the Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh highways. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. Various road projects are being expedited for the movement of troops to key areas like Daulat Beg Oldie as well as Depsang along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. The Border Roads Organization is working on another road connecting Ladakh with Depsang plains to provide access to the Sub-Sector North (SSN) in Ladakh. The standoff in eastern Ladakh was triggered from China's stiff opposition to India laying a key road in the Finger area around the Pangong Tso Lake besides construction of another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road. The road in the Finger area in Pangong Tso is considered crucial for India to carry out patrols. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed that India has decided not to stall any border road infrastructure projects in eastern Ladakh.