Wildlife panel in Ladakh: The Indian government’s wildlife panel has approved several proposals to build infrastructure in eastern Ladakh near the border with China. This infrastructure will help the army by providing better access to ammunition and faster deployment for operations. The new facilities will be built in two wildlife sanctuaries, the Changthang High Altitude Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary and the Karakorum Nubra Shyok Wildlife Sanctuary. These areas are located close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the disputed border between India and China.
This decision comes after a long military stand-off between India and China that started in May 2020, following a clash in the Galwan Valley. The stand-off lasted for 54 months and ended in October 2024, but some issues between the two countries still continue to remain.
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The Ministry of Defence said that the new infrastructure will help in quicker access to ammunition and allow faster movement of troops during operations. The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife, which is responsible for protecting wildlife areas, discussed and approved these proposals on December 21.
Wildlife
Both the wildlife sanctuaries where the infrastructure will be built are home to rare animals. In the Changthang High Altitude Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, animals like the snow leopard, Tibetan wolf, wild yak, and Tibetan antelope live. The Karakorum Nubra Shyok Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to the Tibetan gazelle, Siberian ibex, blue sheep (called bharal), and the Bactrian camel.
Even though the areas for the new infrastructure do not have many trees, they are still protected under India’s wildlife laws. The Defence Ministry has been told to make sure that the construction does not harm the wildlife or the environment.
The Need for Infrastructure
The decision to build more infrastructure at the LAC came after the face-off with China in 2020. During this period, India and China had a long standoff that involved troops facing off at various points along the border, especially in eastern Ladakh. This situation made it clear that India needed to increase its capacity to respond quickly to any further conflicts.
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To help with this, the government has approved the development of defense infrastructure in these wildlife sanctuaries. As of now, the wildlife panel has approved 107 proposals in the Changthang Sanctuary, covering about 2,967 hectares, reported by Economic Times. In the Karakorum Nubra Shyok Sanctuary, 64 proposals have been approved, covering around 24,625 hectares.
