To enhance security along the India-China border in the North-East, 4 new battalions of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will be deployed in the North-East.
They will be sent to 47 new posts. Most of them will be posted on 34 posts in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Union Cabinet in February approved the creation of 7 new battalions and border bases, which has increased the ITBP force by 9,400 personnel.
Out of these 7, 4 are ready for deployment. The remaining 3 battalions will be prepared by 2025.
This decision has come when the border dispute between the two countries was discussed at Major General level in Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) and Chushul area.
This also matters because Chinese President Xi Jinping is coming to India to attend the G-20 summit from 9 to 10 September.
What are Staging Camps
Staging Camps will provide ration, logistics and accommodation to ITBP during long distance patrolling on the Himalayan border. Staging camps serve as temporary BOPs.
Also, in difficult times, they reduce the distance of posts on the border. The new troops will be deployed at 47 new Border Out Posts (BOPs) and a dozen staging camps along the country’s northern border.
According to the Economic Times report, 34 of these posts are in Arunachal Pradesh, where the area is very difficult. The rest of the posts will be made in the western area. Presently there are 180 BOPs here. There is a deployment of about 140 soldiers at each outpost and there is a rotation of the army every 3 months
ITBP, Indian Army jointly handles the security of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. This line borders Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
The length of India’s international border is 1,597 km in Ladakh, 200 km in Himachal Pradesh, 345 km in Uttarakhand, 220 km in Sikkim and 1126 km in Arunachal Pradesh.
In 2021, ITBP has started operations of 2 command headquarters in Chandigarh and Guwahati. The Western Command of Chandigarh is looking after the security of the China border in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Whereas the Eastern Command is looking after the control of the Northern Border and the North-Eastern Border.
There was a violent clash between India and China in the Galvan Valley of Eastern Ladakh about 3 years ago in 2020.
In this, 20 Indian soldiers were martyred, while 38 Chinese soldiers were killed. Although China continued to hide it.
Such a situation had arisen after 40 years between the two countries in the Galvan Valley.
The reason behind the skirmish at Galvan was that the Indian soldiers had decided to build a temporary bridge at one end of the Galvan river.
China had started building infrastructure illegally in the region. Also, was increasing the number of its troops in this area.
