The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has cleared 13 defence and paramilitary infrastructure projects in the high-altitude protected areas of Ladakh and one in Arunachal Pradesh, according to the minutes of its 86th meeting. The proposals, submitted by the Ministry of Defence, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), were approved with strict environmental safeguards to protect the fragile Himalayan ecosystems.

Most of the projects are located within the Changthang Cold Desert and Karakoram (Nubra–Shayok) Wildlife Sanctuaries in Ladakh—both ecologically sensitive regions that host unique biodiversity and form part of the trans-Himalayan landscape bordering China. One project, a bridge construction, falls within the Eco-Sensitive Zone of the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, an area known globally as a biodiversity hotspot and a crucial elephant corridor.

According to the committee’s minutes, the Arunachal Pradesh project involves the use of 0.37 hectares of land in the sanctuary’s Eco-Sensitive Zone for the construction of a 158-metre-long permanent bridge on the Balipara–Charduar–Tawang road under Project Vartak. The committee recommended the project’s approval with a comprehensive mitigation plan that includes restrictions on construction to daylight hours, measures for speed control, and strict protocols for waste and noise management.

In Ladakh, several major defence projects were recommended to strengthen India’s border infrastructure near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Among them is the establishment of a 315 Field Workshop Company at Chushul, spread over 3.7 hectares, designed to support the 142 Infantry Brigade. Another key project is the creation of a Formation Ammunition Storage Facility (FASF) at Tsogtsalu, covering 24.2 hectares in the Changthang Sanctuary. A second ammunition storage facility, spanning 47.1 hectares, has been approved at KM-47 in the Karakoram Sanctuary.

Additionally, the committee has recommended a 48.6-hectare Training Node Area at Tara in the Changthang Sanctuary, located around 15,500 feet above sea level. The training node will provide realistic high-altitude tactical training facilities for troops operating in extreme climatic and terrain conditions.

The NBWL has also given clearance for the use of 40 hectares at Chushul to establish a Brigade Headquarters for the 142 Infantry Brigade, along with necessary support units and associated infrastructure. Other approved projects in the Karakoram Sanctuary include an artillery battery on 9.46 hectares at KM-148 and an Army camp on 8.16 hectares at KM-120.

The ITBP’s infrastructure expansion also received approval, with three new border outposts at Quazi Langer, Bopsang Lungpa, and KM-156, each occupying about 1.62 hectares. In addition, a small 0.1-hectare area at KM-80 has been designated for a transit detachment. To facilitate local movement and logistics, a hume pipe culvert near the Nyoma Advanced Landing Ground at Mudh, crossing the Indus River, was also cleared.

During the committee’s deliberations, noted ecologist R. Sukumar advised that defence infrastructure should not be located near marshes, riverbanks, or narrow valleys that are prone to flash floods and avalanches—natural hazards that have become increasingly frequent due to climate change. The committee endorsed his recommendations, directing that these ecological and safety considerations be incorporated into all project mitigation plans.

While the Standing Committee acknowledged the strategic and national security imperatives driving these projects, it underscored the importance of balancing defence needs with ecological sensitivity. The panel emphasized that construction and operation activities in such fragile landscapes must adhere to environmental safeguards, including habitat restoration, controlled waste disposal, and avoidance of critical wildlife areas.

“The projects are essential for the country’s security and operational readiness in the border regions,” the committee noted, “but their implementation must ensure minimal ecological disturbance.”

Experts have often cautioned that infrastructure expansion in the Himalayas poses long-term risks to fragile ecosystems and to local communities that depend on them. With these clearances, the NBWL aims to strike a balance between strategic necessity and environmental responsibility—an approach that will be increasingly tested as India continues to strengthen its border infrastructure amid escalating geopolitical challenges in the region.