The 91-kilometer Hanle-Chumar route in Ladakh opened at 17,200 feet to increase tourism and defense

A 91 km road connecting Hanle to the border village of Chumar along the LAC has been opened for the public in Ladakh. The path, which was built by the Border Roads Organization’s (BRO) Project Himank, crosses the steep Salsa La Pass and reaches extremely high elevations between 14,500 and 17,200 feet.

By linking sites like Hanle Observatory, Kyun Tso Lake, Chilling Tso Lake, and further on to Tso Moriri, the road would not only strategically connect the Armed Forces along the borders, but it will also promote local connectedness and tourism in the area.

The road is a noteworthy accomplishment in the building of strategic infrastructure, improving operational preparedness, encouraging tourism, and stimulating socioeconomic growth in the most isolated regions of Ladakh.

Sindoor. Of the 50 projects inaugurated, 16 are located in the Union Territory of Ladakh and have been implemented under Project Himank and Project Vijayak, with a combined worth of approximately Rs 947.43 crore. These initiatives are part of India‘s larger plan for inclusive development and safe borders, and they are devoted to the people of Ladakh.

The building of road connectivity along the LAC has been heavily pushed since the 2020 Galwan clash.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently inaugurated 50 major projects out of which eight are critical roads in Ladakh, under Project Himank, Tangtse-Lukung Road; Karu-Tangtse Road; Chusul-Dungti-Fukhe- Demchok Road; Puga-Pologongka Road; Mahe-Debring Road; Leh-Loma Road; Lukung-Phobrang Road and Tangtse-Horong-Chusul Road.

These roads are crucial for enhancing civilian connectivity in isolated and bordering areas as well as for defense logistics.

Six bridges were also dedicated to the region, Kanglajal Bridge-l; Kanglajal Bridge-II; Fukche Talza Bridge; Fukche Lungpa Bridge (under Project Himank); Hanu Yokma Bridge and Domkhar Bridge (under Project Vijayak).

Additionally, two other key projects were completed under this project one is a specialised ammunition cavern at Hanle and road surfacing using ILCB technology at Chang La and Wari La, further enhancing the region’s infrastructure resilience in harsh terrains.

To further improve the region’s infrastructure resilience in challenging terrains, two additional significant projects were also finished under this project: the construction of a specialized ammo cavern at Hanle and the paving of roads at Chang La and Wari La utilizing ILCB technology.

Two other significant projects were also finished as part of this project: the construction of a specialized ammo cavern at Hanle and the paving of roads at Chang La and Wari La using ILCB technology, which significantly improved the region’s infrastructure resilience in challenging terrain.