India ‘working faster’ on bridge in Galwan Valley after China’s objections amid stand-off

*India ‘working faster’ on bridge in Galwan Valley after China’s objections amid stand-off*

As the stand-off with China along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh continues, India is busy finishing the bridge over the Galwan ‘nallah’ that the Chinese had objected.

Government sources said work on the concrete bridge, which is set to replace an existing wooden bridge, is going on, and India has made it clear to the Chinese that it will carry on with border infrastructure development.

China’s main concern in the Galwan Valley was this bridge.

The work on the bridge, which is about 7 to 7.5 kilometres from the LAC, had started much earlier. However, around 10 May, the Chinese came to know of the construction and objected to it. However, the work on the bridge continues. The ongoing issues have only made us work faster on this bridge,” a senior official in the security and defence establishment said on the condition of anonymity.

The bridge is part of a network of feeder roads that India is building connecting the strategically important Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi road, inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh last year.

“The Chinese have no objection to the Shyok-DBO road, and that road is about 9-10 km from the LAC. The objection was to this bridge that we were constructing. We have made it clear that the construction is happening well within Indian territory and it will go on,” said the official.

Sources stressed that while there is troop build-up on both sides of the LAC, the focus is on resolving the issue through talks.

(Courtesy: The Print)