Infrastructure Development Along LAC

Infrastructure Development Along LAC: Approvals:

• Ministry of Defence will now require environmental clearances for Infrastructure Development Along Lac, including under the Forest Conservation Act (1980) and Environment Protection Act (1986) to go ahead with the project.
• Infrastructure Development Conditions: To discharge their duties, officers/officials of the wildlife protection department shall have unhindered access to the Infrastructure Development project site.
• Animal passages must be implemented and maintained in the new road stretches.
• The IAF has to pay environmental damages due to the diverse effects on ecology.

Infrastructure Development Along LAC: Approved:

• Indian Air Force Base: Infrastructure Development approved IAF base will be located in the Changthang wildlife sanctuary in eastern Ladakh.
• Firing range: The use of 1259.25 ha of land from the Changthang wildlife sanctuary for the Mahe field firing range has also been approved.
• Upgradation of road:  Double-laning of the Khalsar-Agham road, upgradation of the Leh-Chalunka road (in Karakoram Sanctuary) and construction of T-Salu Changchemo road in Changthang Sanctuary).
• According to Infrastructure Development these roads are crucial for logistics, carriage of ammunition and personnel.
• Optical fibre cables: Permission has been given for the laying of optical fibre cables in these two sanctuaries.
• Observatory: Permission has been given to set up snow bound ISRO road linkage to help establish NETRA optical telescope on Mt Saraswati.
• The NETRA project, launched in August 2020, is an early warning system to protect satellites from space debris and other space hazards.
• Museum: Permission has also been given to set up Nomadic Museum in Nyoma.
• Reasons for approval: Strengthen defence mechanism: China is upgrading its military infrastructure in the area and India needs to match China to protect its borders.

Changthang Sanctuary:

• Located on the Tibetan Changthang plateau, it has some of the highest altitude lakes including Tso Moriri.
• It is known for snow leopard, the Tibetan wolf, wild yak, brown bear, mormot, Tibetan wild ass and dark-necked crane.

Karakoram Sanctuary:

• It is located in Leh district and houses the famous Tibetan antelope (chiru). It is also known as Nubra-Shyok wildlife sanctuary.

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