• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has connected the 298-km strategic Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road in Ladakh.

• The road will connect Manali to Leh through Darcha and Nimmu on Kargil–Leh national highway, providing a third axis apart from Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh which connect Ladakh to the hinterland.

• The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road derives its strategic importance from the fact that it is not only shorter vis-a-vis the other two axes, but crosses only one pass — Shinkun La (16,558 feet) — on which tunnel work by the BRO is about to start.

• This will result in the road having all-weather connectivity to the Ladakh region. 

• The connectivity will strengthen the defence preparedness and provide a boost to the economic development in the Zanskar valley.

Border Roads Organisation

• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was conceptualised in March 1960, primarily to meet the defence infrastructure needs of the country, especially in the border states. 

• It is now a leading road construction agency under the ministry of defence with a primary role of providing road connectivity in border areas.

• Over the years, the organisation has diversified into the construction of steel bridges, airfields, townships, tunneling works and hydro-electric projects.

• BRO executes road construction and maintenance works along the Northern and Western frontiers primarily to meet the strategic requirements of the Army. 

• The BRO has also constructed roads in friendly foreign countries like Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, etc thus contributing towards our strategic objectives in the region.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store