New Delhi: In a major boost to the country’s strategic capabilities along the border with China, the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has approved 13 important defence projects in wildlife sanctuaries.
While 12 of these are in Ladakh, one is in Arunachal Pradesh.
The NBWL has approved the use of 0.3792 hectares of forestland in the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary of Arunachal Pradesh for construction of the Pinjoli bridge.
The sanctuary is known for the movement of elephants and the environment ministry has imposed a condition on the defence ministry. Traffic is to be minimised between 11 pm and 5 am, which is peak elephant movement period, to prevent accidental collisions with the pachyderms.
A request was also made by the defence ministry for use of 3.7 ha of forest land in the Changthang High Altitude Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary for the 315 Field Workshop Company at Chushul, Ladakh.
The 315 Field Workshop Company was relocated from Jalipa, Barmer (Rajasthan), to the Eastern Ladakh sector in September 2024, along with the headquarters of the 142 Infantry Brigade. It was temporarily stationed at Nimmu.
According to the minutes of the NBWL meeting, “In March 2025, the workshop was permanently moved to Chushul in the Eastern Ladakh sector. The workshop functions directly under the Headquarters 142 Infantry Brigade.”
“The units under the command of Headquarters 142 Infantry Brigade are already deployed in the vicinity of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to ensure effective command, control, and operational coordination. Therefore, it has become essential to acquire land at the proposed location for the permanent deployment of the 315 Field Workshop Company. The construction of necessary assets at the proposed site will enhance the engineering support capabilities and provide a better administrative setup, thereby boosting the overall operational readiness of the battalions deployed in the sector,” the minutes of the NBWL meeting said.
The board has also cleared the usage of forest land of the Karakoram (Nubra Shayok) Wildlife Sanctuary in Leh district for the establishment of border outposts for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
The proposal was initiated to strengthen vigilance along the border areas, ensuring effective monitoring of the movement of adversaries and to prevent any intrusion or transgression across the LAC.
The standing committee also approved the use of 24.2 ha of the Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary for Formation Ammunition Storage Facility (FASF) at Tsogtsalu.
The facility will be a critical operational requirement to ensure sustained military operations in Tsogtsalu, particularly in the event that the Phobrang-Marsimik La-Hot Spring road becomes inaccessible due to extreme weather conditions or adverse actions by the adversary.
A training mode area will also be established in the Changthang High Altitude Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary.
“The increasing assertiveness of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the region necessitates a high level of operational preparedness. In this context, the availability of dedicated training infrastructure, encompassing both indoor and outdoor facilities at Super High Altitude Areas (SHAA) – i.e., around 15,000 feet elevation – is essential to facilitate regular and realistic training for troops while maintaining their operational presence in the Area of Responsibility (AoR),” the minutes of the meeting said.
A brigade headquarters will also come up at the Changthang High Altitude Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary. The other projects in Ladakh’s wildlife sanctuaries include construction of a hume pipe culvert, Army camp, artillery battery and ammunition storage facility.
