NBWL Approves Road Expansion in Ladakh

• 19 Oct 2024

Source: BS 

Why in News? 

The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has approved five key road stretches in Ladakh (four of which pass through Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary), including a route to Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO). 

• The NBWL approved the road stretches with conditions to implement wildlife passage plans to protect species in the Karakoram sanctuary. 
• The move significantly aids the Ministry of Defence, enhancing infrastructure development along the LAC in response to the 2020 India-China clashes in Galwan Valley. 

 

What is the Strategic Significance of this Move? 

• These routes are crucial for troop movement and logistics and supporting the civilian population particularly after the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes. 
  • The existing Durbuk-Shyok-DBO (DS-DBO) route, which is 255 km long, runs along the LAC and is within sight of Chinese-held territory to its east. 
  • Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) is the country’s sorthernmost military outpost in Ladakh and houses its highest airstrip. 
• The Leh-Chalunka road (one of the five approved road stretches), connects the Indus Valley with the Shyok Valley and traverses the Ladakh range, representing the sole motorised route over this range. 

What are the Other Major Developmental Projects along India's Border? 

• India-China Border:  
  • Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) 
  • Border Area Development Programme (BADP) 
• India-Pakistan Border:  
  • Smart Fencing in India (Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System – CIBMS) 

 

National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) 

• National Board for Wildlife is a statutory Board constituted officially in 2003 under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. 
  • It replaced the Indian Board for Wildlife, established in 1952. 
• The NBWL is chaired by the Prime Minister and is responsible for promotion of conservation and development of wildlife and forests. 
• The board is ‘advisory’ in nature and can only advise the Government on policy making for conservation of wildlife. 
• It serves as an apex body for the review of all wildlife-related matters and for the approval of projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries. 
• The standing committee of NBWL is chaired by the Minister of Environment Forest and Climate Change. 
  • The standing committee approves all the projects falling within protected wildlife areas or within 10 km of them. 

Read More: India's Border and It’s Management

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs) 

Prelims  

Q1. With reference to ‘National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’, which of the following statements is/are correct? (2017) 

1. It is an organ of NITI Aayog. 
2. It has a corpus of `4,00,000 crore at present. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only 

(b) 2 only 

(c) Both 1 and 2 

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 

Ans: (d)