Green norms stalling border roads: Army

NEW DELHI: Alarmed at the excruciatingly slow progress in construction of border roads, the Army wants infrastructure build-up within 50km of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan to be exempted from environmental and other clearances.

"Huge delays in environmental clearances are jeopardising national security. Construction of strategically important roads should be exempted," said a senior officer.

While environmental activists are opposed to such exemption, the Army contends that clearances under the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980 and Wildife (Protection) Act of 1972 in some cases have been pending for four years or so.

"The government had held in March 2006 that all cases of environmental clearances should be finalised in four months. But this is clearly not happening," said the officer.


Only 12 of 73 all-weather roads earmarked along 4,056-km LAC with China have been completed and environmental clearances have been pending for as long as four years, says Army. China can move 30,000 soldiers to borders in less than 3 weeks.