Seminar on infrastructure building in Uttarakhand, HP border areas held
On the first day of the seminar, the experts from WIHG, BRO, IIT-R and IIRS spoke on the technical and geological aspects of infrastructure development in the border areas of the two Himalayan states near the Line of Actual Control
Amid the ongoing border issues with China, the Golden Key Division under the central command of Indian army, held a two-day seminar to discuss a roadmap for sustainable infrastructure development in the border areas of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, which share boundary with China .

Speakers at the two day seminar included former defence secretary and governor of Chhattisgarh Shekhar Dutt, scientist from Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS)- Rajat Chatterjee, head of department, civil engineering in Indian Institute of Technology- Roorkee (IIT-R) Kamal Jain, Uttarakhand tourism secretary Dilip Jawalkar, experts from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Forest Research Institute (FRI), University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) and officials from Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) and the India Army.
“The discussions during the seminar included various aspects of infrastructure development... Emphasis was also laid on the need for increased coordination between military, academia and the civic administration on the issue with best possible implementation of latest technologies while ensuring a holistic infrastructural development with focus on the border areas of the two states,” an army statement on the seminar said.
On the first day of the seminar, the experts from WIHG, BRO, IIT-R and IIRS spoke on the technical and geological aspects of infrastructure development in the border areas of the two Himalayan states near the Line of Actual Control. Former defence secretary Dutt also “provided an insight on the Chinese infrastructure model in its Tibet Autonomous Region near the LAC.”
On Friday, speakers from the army presented a “model infrastructure development plan” by the Golden Key division and stressed on the need for “coordinated efforts by all parties concerned for holistic development of the border areas while considering the aspirations of the local population and curbing their migration”.
Lt Gen Gambhir Singh Negi (retd), commended Army for discussing a “vital subject”, and said, “Proper infrastructure has to be developed in border areas to enable quick response in case of a Chinese aggression at LAC.”
“China in Tibet has an advantage due to the topography and better infrastructure. It can mobilise its troops from one point to another in a reasonable time while India can’t due to more difficult topography and less developed infrastructure. Hence, it becomes very important to develop not only roads but infrastructure for keeping the troops, arms, ration and other essential items at border areas so that our army can be better prepared and deliver a counter in case China attacks us in Uttarakhand or Himachal Pradesh,” Lt Gen Negi (retd), added.