India bridges
The new bridges will facilitate the movement of armed troops and logistical supplies in the strategic region. Credit: Kevan Craft from Pixabay.

The Government of India has opened six bridges in Jammu and Kashmir to facilitate the movement of armed troops and logistical supplies in the strategic region.

Built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the bridges were inaugurated by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh through video conferencing in the presence of other officials.

Two bridges are located on the Tarnah Nallah in Kathua District while the other four structures are situated on the Akhnoor-Pallanwala Road in Akhnoor / Jammu district.

The bridges, which span from 30m to 300m, were built with a combined investment of Rs430m ($5.71m).

Minister Singh said: “Continued construction of roads and bridges in the border areas of the country with total commitment by BRO would help in realisation of the efforts of the government to reach to the remotest areas. Roads are the lifeline of any nation.

“Roads in the border areas are not only strategic strengths, but also act to connect remote areas with the mainstream. In this way, be it a strategic necessity of the Armed Forces or other development work related to health, education, trade, all these are possible only with connectivity.”

The move comes at a time when India is engaged in a military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, a union territory near Jammu and Kashmir.

Recently, BRO built three bridges strategic bridges near the Chinese border to enable the Indian armed forces to move tanks and other heavy artillery along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

These three bridges are located in Ladakh’s Nimu region.