Resolving the dilemma of Indo-China border security vis-a-vis the Himalayan fragile ecology in Uttarakhand requires a three-pronged strategy emphasizing local, national and international policy interventions.
The Indo-China border, commonly called the Line of Actual Control (LAC), remains a flashpoint in South Asia. The middle section of the LAC runs through the Himalayas, including Uttarakhand. However, most Indo-China border security discussions have primarily focused on the western and eastern sectors. With a length of nearly 350 km, Uttarakhand shares the third-highest international border with China after the states of Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh. The Himalayan state of Uttarakhand is increasingly confronted with concerns of traditional military security and non-traditional environmental security, even as it strives to strike a balance between the two.
Recent trends reflect increasing incursions by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into the territory of Uttarakhand. Between 2006 to 2011, up to 37 incursions by China were reported by the Uttarakhand state government. In 2017, PLA troops in Barahoti threatened shepherds to vacate the lands, along with a Chinese helicopter violating airspace in the same timeline. By 2021, several PLA troops transgressed Tunjun-La Pass across the LAC into Uttarakhand. China has revealed its plans of constructing 400 villages alongside the Uttarakhand border, while laying claims to Harsil (near Uttarkashi) and Rimkhim (near Joshimath).
Increasingly aware of these threats, the Indian government launched the flagship Char Dham Highway project in 2016. A major objective of the scheme is to provide an all-weather road connectivity till the Indo-China border, serving both defence and tourism purposes. Recent reports have suggested nearly 75% completion of the 889-kilometer project, along with the inauguration of the longest railway tunnel of India as a part of the scheme.
In 2021, the Defence Ministry’s intervention led to a modification in an earlier order by the Supreme Court of India, which limited the width of roads constructed under the Char Dham project up to 5.5 meters. Subsequently, the Court approved the double lane with paved shoulder (DLPS) system, allowing expansion of road width up to 10 meters. While cognizant of ecological complications in Uttarakhand, the court allowed the expansion of roads to serve national security concerns including transfer of military trucks and artillery at greater heights.
A few months after the court’s approval for widening roads, the chairman of high powered committee (HPC) resigned citing “desecration of the once impregnable Himalayas”. The HPC was constituted by the Supreme Court to suggest ecologically-sound recommendations while pursuing border security in Uttarakhand. Considering the state’s geographical susceptibility to earthquakes, the indispensable need to preserve environmental integrity in construction projects was widely acknowledged.
However, the past few years have reflected growing ecological concerns with roadway development in Uttarakhand. Unscientific debris disposal into valleys remains a hindrance, with most dumping zones reaching their full capacity. Civil society organizations have claimed regulatory lapses in clearances for environment impact assessment (EIA) and eco-sensitive zones. A recent auditory report revealed afforestation funds diverted by officials for non-forest and personal use. The corridor constructions are predicted to generate long-term impact on endemic flora and fauna, while pastoralists have been displaced from erstwhile settlements.
Recurring disasters are the most worrying threat: between 2015 to 2021, over 10,000 extreme weather events have been recorded in Uttarakhand alone. Recent incidents of avalanches and landslides near the border areas of Chamoli have intensified safety concerns over blasting activities for expanding roads. Previous instances of Joshimath land subsidence and Silkyara tunnel collapse indicate a sharp increase in disaster vulnerability in the state. Recent claims of launching all-year round winter tourism, while economically ambitious, would also entail higher vehicular emissions by tourists. This could further spiral climate change and enhance the risk landscape of Uttarakhand.
The micro-aim is to balance both border security (traditional military security) and ecological sanctity (non-traditional environmental security) of Uttarakhand, while the macro-aim is to conceptualize a novel development framework for Himalayan zones.
At the local level, a people-centric approach is vital for both military security and broader socio-economic growth. Ghost towns in Uttarakhand have created massive out-migration due to limited employment opportunities. To avoid over-reliance on year-round tourism that may generate ecological pressure, sustainable agricultural practices must be incentivized. The Baranaja cropping system of Uttarakhand can be tied to the larger United Nations’ recognition of International Year of Millets to generate a global market for Uttarakhand's millet-based products. Government schemes on homestays could promote inclusive tourism serving twin goals of rural economic employment and cultural revival of local Pahadi communities. Recent initiatives to develop border areas such as Mana and Jadung as “first villages” are crucial to gain grassroot support for re-populating hamlets against China’s salami-slicing incursions.
At the national level, a techno-centric approach is crucial for sustainable border surveillance and ecologically-sound practices. The recent avalanche in Chamoli reflects tactical difficulties in manning the border at sub-zero temperatures. Recurrent landslides due to expanding road constructions for defense movement reflect a clear decline in the state’s ecological carrying capacity. Given Uttarakhand’s sensitive topography, the government must prioritize drone technologies for effective surveillance of far-flung hilly border areas. The HPC also recommends switching to state electric buses in Gangotri and Badrinath, an important step to lower greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change disasters in the state. The recent launch of ropeway projects in Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib would help reduce carbon footprint in the longer run, while immediate measures such as Delhi’s odd-even scheme may be adopted for risk-prone areas of Uttarkashi and Joshimath.
At the global level, a Himalayan-centric approach is essential in the strategic calculus of the Indo-Pacific security architecture. The Himalayas represent a mélange of biodiversity concerns and an emerging geopolitical frontier for China. The presence of an international “Himalayan Council” could help resolve the larger security versus calamity dynamics affecting hilly areas. Defence exercises with QUAD nations (USA, Japan, Australia) near hilly borders could help institutionalize Himalayan security as an integral component of a “free and open” Indo-Pacific. Partnerships with International Solar Alliance and the United Kingdom could help harness the recently acknowledged solar energy potential of the hilly state. Sustainable construction practices through collaboration with Nordic countries could help mitigate the risks of nearly 75 “unsafe” road bridges in Uttarakhand. As recognized by the Supreme Court, the need for a “delicate balance” between environmental considerations and border-related infrastructural development is key. Policy efforts must strive to harmonize border security and ecology concerns for Uttarakhand in particular and Himalayas at large.
Aarushi Shekhar Barthwal has completed her Masters from Jawaharlal Nehru University and is currently a geopolitical analyst at MitKat Advisory. Her areas of interest include power politics of Asia Pacific and South Asia, and non-traditional security issues in international relations.
