Chinese Bridge on Pangong Lake | 03 Aug 2024

Source: BS

Why in News?

China has completed and operationalised a bridge connecting the north and south banks of the Pangong Tso lake in Eastern Ladakh.

• It allows China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) to significantly reduce the time needed to mobilise its troops and tanks.

What is the Pangong Lake Dispute?

• About the Lake:
  • Pangong Tso is a long, narrow, deep, endorheic lake at over 14,000 ft in Ladakh in trans-Himalays.
  • India and China have around one-third and two-thirds of Pangong Tso Lake respectively.
    • The eastern end of Pangong Tso lies in Tibet.
  • It is a tectonic lake formed when India came out of Gondwanaland and pressed against Asia to create a Himalayan mountain range while occupying the space that originally was the Tethys Ocean.
• Disputed “Fingers” Area:
  • The northern bank of the lake has spurs known as "fingers."
  • India claims the LAC runs through Finger 8 but controls up to Finger 4, while China claims the LAC is at Finger 2.
  • Recent tensions have led to Chinese forces blocking Indian soldiers from moving beyond Finger 2.
• Strategic Significance:
  • It lies in the Chushul approach path, a potential route for Chinese offensives.
    • In the 1962 war, China launched its main offensive in this area, and Indian forces fought heroically at Rezang La.
  • China has built motorable roads along its banks of the lake and has a large-scale model of the area at its Huangyangtan base.

What are Indian Concerns Regarding the Bridge on Pangong Lake?

• It will give Chinese troops and tanks faster access to the lake's southern banks, including Rezang La, where Indian forces outmanoeuvred them in 2020.
  • The Indian Army captured key heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake in 2020. The new Chinese bridge was built in response to this.
• It will reportedly strengthen the PLA's Moldo Garrison on the Pangong lake's southern bank.
  • It will also enable the PLA to rapidly reinforce the Moldo Garrison by deploying motorized brigades based in Rutog base.

How India Responded with Military Infrastructure Along LAC?

• Road Construction: Nearly 6,000 km of roads constructed in border areas in the past five years, with 2,100 km along the northern borders. E.g., Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road.
• Tunnels: All-weather connectivity projects in Ladakh e.g., Zojila and Z-Morh tunnels and Arunachal Pradesh e.g., Sela tunnel and Nechiphu bridge are advancing.
• Troop Habitat: Rs 1,300 crore spent in the last three years on infrastructure and habitat in Ladakh, including green solutions like Sheela shelters and fuel cells.
• Air Power Infrastructure: Increasing availability of heavy lift and logistics helicopters for resupplying materials e.g., deployment of C17 Globemaster and C-130J Super Hercules.