Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Jan 19: The speed of development of an under-construction bridge connecting the north and south sides of the Pangong Tso lake peaked during the winter, according to new satellite pictures. The bridge will be built close to India’s claim line, which has been under Chinese control for decades.
The construction work began in September last year from the northern shores of the lake, but it is only a few metres away from the southern bank, according to imagery given by satellite business Maxar Technologies and analysed with images from the European Space Agency.
Even during the winters, China has been improving infrastructure and connectivity near the border regions. Similar incidences of road and bridge construction have also been reported near Galwan.
The move is being seen as a Chinese desire to avoid a repeat of the August 2020 operation, in which Indian military forces shocked PLA ground forces by seizing key positions on the Kailash heights. Indian and Chinese forces were stationed less than 200 metres apart on the bank’s southern end during the stalemate. Following a mutual agreement to withdraw from forward positions, the standoff in the Pangong area was resolved.
According to the available photos, the under-construction bridge will be roughly 315 metres long. It connects the lake’s southern end to a freshly constructed road in the north. The presence of a putative supporting construction site in the north, as well as the deployment of heavy machinery, can also be seen in satellite images.
The Indian government had stated that it was actively monitoring the operations. “This bridge is being built in lands that have been illegally occupied by China for the past 60 years. As you are aware, India has never tolerated such unlawful occupancy,” MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi said earlier this month.
While the entire Pangong lake is currently semi-frozen, regions near the building site appear to have acquired more solid ice than those on the lake’s western side.
