Day 34 – Q 3. Enhancing the border road infrastructure has its economic and strategic advantages for India. How? Examine.
3. Enhancing the border road infrastructure has its economic and strategic advantages for India. How? Examine.
सीमावर्ती सड़क बुनियादी ढांचे को बढ़ाने के भारत के लिए इसके आर्थिक और रणनीतिक फायदे हैं। कैसे? जांच करें।
Introduction
India is a unique country with ~15000 km land border sharing with seven countries. All of this border comprised of unique topography, culture and varied socio-economic challenges. Considering unity of the nation and neighbourhood first policy of India, it is imperative to develop modern and competitive border road infrastructure.
Body
Economic Advantages of border road infrastructure:
- One of the most important advantages is development of legal and amicable trade relations with neighbouring countries. Examples of it are trade through Attari-Wagha border and Border Haats with Bangladesh and many more with Nepal, Bhutan, etc.
- Proper border road infra will reduce trafficking and smuggling, which is currently a big cause concern for India and neighbouring countries.
- Recently, World Bank has released a report called “A Glass Half Full: The Promise of Regional Trade in South Asia”. According to its findings intra-regional trade accounts for a little more than 5 percent of South Asia’s total trade while it accounts for 50 percent of total trade in East Asia. It means there is huge untapped regional trade potential in South Asia, where most of the countries share borders with India.
- Another major economic benefit is inclusive growth and development. Border road infrastructure, especially in harsh terrains such as northeast and Jammu & Kashmir provides avenue for self-employment and boost to traditional small scale Industries.
- Furthermore, tourism in beautiful and lofty Himalayas has not reached to its full potential due to improper road infrastructure. To tap full potential of natural tourism avenues we must further improve our border road infra.
Strategic Advantages of border road infrastructure:
- One of the major advantages is that through border road infra India will be successful in pushing for her ambitious neighbourhood first and act east policies. It will act as soft power in terms of creating people to people contacts. Best example of this is the most recent project of Kartarpur Corridor.
- Border road infra helps in maintaining peace and stability by controlling the security concerns related to inter-region and intra-region issues.
- The task of national integration which started with independence of India and still going on will be incomplete without border road infra. Connectivity and inclusivity are the important tools for national integration of far-flung areas such as Northeastern states and Ladakh, etc.
- Economic avenues provided by such infra definitely leads to strategic benefits within and outside country to control menace of terrorism and secessionists’ activities.
- Another important advantage of border roads is in proper and swift disaster management. Difficult and harsh terrains of Indian borders and relatively low development of bordering countries make it inevitable for India to prepared and self-sufficient to handle any kind of disasters.
Challenges ahead:
- Rough and difficult terrain
- Weather and Climatic conditions
- Seismically active areas in most of the border
- Cease fire violation and border intrusions
- Inadequate manpower, funds with Border Road organisation (BRO)
- Redtapism and bureaucratic delays in projects
Conclusion:
BRO has been frequently in news due to delays and other lacunae with regard to border road infra.
Proper and defined autonomy with respect to 3F: Funds, Functions and Functionaries will help to boost the rapid development of border road infra, ultimately leading to economically integrated and strategically amiable South Asia.
Best Answer: YBB
Rashmi Rani
