World’s highest motorable road at
Umlingla (19024 feet)
Bridging
the Gaps. In bridging the gaps, BRO took a
strategic decision in 2021 to make class 70 as its main stay bridge to enable
all tanks, artillery guns and multi-axle load carrying vehicles to be taken to
the forward most locations when needed, enhancing the mobility of troops and
logistical support across challenging terrains. Noteworthy is the construction
of the world’s highest multi span bridge at Saser Brangsa (14900 feet) over
Shyok River in Eastern Ladakh, employing advanced materials to ensure durability
in harshest of weather conditions. This bridge is an engineering marvel
spanning a gap of 345 m and resting over seven piers each being supported by 47
micro piles. The added feature of this bridge is that it has been constructed
including planning, designing and contracting during a single working season
during year 2023.
World’s highest multi-span bridge at
Saser Brangsa (14900 ft) constructed in just 174 days 
Tunnelling
Achievements. BRO's
accomplishments in tunnelling are significant, with the completion of four
major tunnels post Galwan, including strategically important Sela tunnel, which
was inaugurated by Honourable Prime Minister on 09 Mar 24. This tunnel is the
longest bi-lane tunnel in the world above 13000 feet and highest transportation
tunnel in India. Presently work is on full swing on 10 tunnels and BRO is
poised to take on at least eight more tunnels in near future for which planning
process is near complete, out of which six would be higher than Mont Blanc
(15771 feet) – the highest peak of Alps. Till now the world used to look with
awe and admiration at mountain tunnels in Alps but the focus is sooner shifting
to India when it comes to construction of tunnels at super high altitudes.
Sela Tunnel :
India’s highest transportation tunnel and World’s longest twin tube tunnel
above 13000 feet
Airfield
Development. BRO's role extends to the construction and
upgrading of airfields, with notable projects completed in July 2023 at
Bagdogra and Barrackpore Airfields enhancing the operational capacity of the
Indian Air Force in Eastern Sector. BRO has made 21 airfields since its
inception along Northern borders. The work is going on in full swing at Nyoma
Air Base which will provide strategic edge to Indian Air Force over China and
extend operational and logistic reach of Army in Eastern Ladakh.
Accelerated Pace of work post Galwan.
Post Galwan, BRO intensified its efforts to develop border
infrastructure, a move that can be seen as part of India's broader strategy to
strengthen its position along the LAC. Most of the strategically crucial
projects, including Umlingla Road, alternate connectivity to DBO from Sasoma to
Gapshan, a 345-meter-long bridge at Saser Brangsa, the road to Hot Spring, Nimu
– Padum – Darcha road connected as the third axis to Ladakh, connectivity to
Thangla, Topidunga, Milam, Jollingkong, Lipulekh, Doklam, Yangtse, Huri,
Taksing, Maza, Lamang and Gelling, were all achieved post Galwan. Also, the
road connectivity has been established to all forward most posts in Eastern
Ladakh and a 121 km long road connecting Chushul-Dungti-Fukche-Demchok along
the LAC is in final stages of completion. The work on Likaru-Migla-Fukche road
in Chumar sector is on, making it the highest road in the world soon at 19400
feet. With such road network coming up, now the reinforcements can reach at the
point of conflict in fastest time frame, giving us an operational as well as
strategic edge over China which was never thought of few years back. Bagdogra
and Barrackpore airfields, Chamba, Nechiphu, and Sela tunnels were also
completed during this phase, by motivating cutting-edge leadership to put in
their best and function on mission mode.
Chinook Helicopters used to lift
machines to create multiple attack points
Taming
Zojila, Breaking Mindsets.
Ladakh remains cut off from the rest of the country during winters when
both routes - one from Srinagar and other from Manali to Leh get closed. In an
unprecedented move, BRO significantly reduced closure period of Zojila from
traditional 160 – 180 days in past to 110 days in 2021, 73 days in 2022 and 68
days in 2023. This enhanced connectivity through Zojila Axis gave security
forces an extended strategic reach through winters and saved Government
exchequer approximately Rs 350 – 400 Cr per year for air maintaining troops
deployed in Ladakh. Similarly other 26 major passes in the Himalayas were also
either kept open throughout the year or opened much ahead of schedule, thereby
enabling easier logistics build-up for the troops deployed ahead. This has led
to operational and economic benefits, including significant savings for the
Indian Army and local economies.
Zojila no more
remains formidable
Infusion
of New Technology, Digitisation and Automation. Post
Galwan, BRO has put in extraordinary efforts through infusion of numerous new
technologies, after extensive trials, to accelerate the pace of work. BRO has
also launched a pilot project to use steel slag for construction of roads. From
planning, to contracting, to execution, the organisation has left the old
mindset behind and adopted new methodology available. BRO has digitized all its
roads and put it on GIS for ease of better future planning and integration with
other ministries working in the same domain. Through use of 11 new software,
specifically designed to meet BRO’s ground requirements, executives and staff
are in better position to monitor progress of all its projects spread along land
borders in 11 states and 3 UTs.
BRO is to use
Steel slag for construction of roads
World’s largest 3D printed complex in
final stages of completion for BRO Ladakh Air Despatch establishment at
Chandigarh
Green Construction. During past three
years, BRO has integrated environmental conservation into its
infrastructure projects in a big way by adopting sustainable practices,
significantly mitigating the ecological impact of construction activities. Few
examples are given below:
●
Energy Efficient
Buildings at Leh.
●
Carbon Neutral Habitat at
Hanle.
Carbon Neutral Habitat at Hanle (15000 feet)
●
Environment Friendly
Shelters for CPLs.
●
Use of Steel Slag in
Arunachal Pradesh.
●
Use of Plastic in road
construction in North Eastern States.
●
Induction of Electric
Vehicles in BRO.
●
Use of Green Diesel in
collaboration with IOC.
●
Use of Geo textiles,
Hydro Seeding, Bio Mass as slope stabilisation techniques on roads.
●
Use of pre fabricated
culverts in Ladakh.
●
Use of Cut and Fit
Technology at Panging in Arunachal Pradesh thereby all components of road from
drains, breast walls, pavement members etc to be pre casted and fitted at
location to cut down considerably on environmental degradation.
Use of Cut and
Fit technology fixing precast members at Panging
Experimenting
with GeM.
Demonstrating an exponential increase in GeM procurement, BRO has not
only tripled its transactions on the platform during last three years but also
pioneered the listing of essential construction materials like Steel, Cement,
and Bailey Bridges. The strategic utilization of GeM has yielded considerable
benefits, including a 33% reduction in acquisition timelines, roughly 20%
savings on costs due to reverse auctions and an overall cost reduction of
12-14%. This not only has saved approximately Rs 480 Cr per year of public
money but also accelerated the infrastructure projects besides enhancing the
quality. DGBR was invited as a sole
speaker from Central Government departments to share BRO’s GeM experience to
enhance transparency, inclusivity, efficiency and eradication of corruption,
with delegates of G20 nations on 01 March 23 at Gurugram.
BRO's commitment
and success in leveraging GeM have been recognized with prestigious awards,
including the Silver Certificate for GeM procurement and the Gold Standard
Certification for timely payments in the Central Govt Category (90% of the
payments to its contractors are made in nine days) for two consecutive years in
FY 2021-22 and FY 2022-23. In FY 2022-23, BRO set a record with a procurement
of Rs 1853 Cr through GeM. The procurement procedures have now been
institutionalised, which has not only been a huge money saver of Government
funds but also enhanced quality, speed and transparency in execution of
projects besides instilling huge confidence in the firms working with BRO about
timely payments.
Stimulating
Socio-Economic Growth. In its mission to enhance
connectivity, the BRO has taken significant strides to extend road
infrastructure to the most remote and previously inaccessible regions, thereby
integrating some of the country's most isolated areas with the mainland. A
noteworthy achievement in this endeavour is the construction of a 180-feet
bridge in Sanklang-Toong, Sikkim, on Tulung Chu road, affectionately termed the
'Bridge of Hope' by locals. This
infrastructure marvel has drastically reduced the journey for villagers to Saffo
Village from a gruelling 56 km drive plus a 14 km trek to a direct route,
symbolizing a tangible link to progress and opportunity. The BRO's impact is
profoundly felt in regions like Demchok in Ladakh, Jolingkong in Uttarakhand,
and Huri Village in Arunachal Pradesh, where roads have connected the most
remote villages to the main stream of the country.
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