How is Government working on Border Infrastructure?

How is Government working on Border Infrastructure?

News: Recently, the Minister of External Affairs provided a briefing to the parliament regarding the government's projects on border infrastructure and connectivity.

Background:
 The report was released in the wake of an official Security Conference report that said Indian forces have lost access to 26 of 65 patrolling points along the LAC since 2020.

What are recent Border Infra developments?
 Improving connectivity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) through roads, bridges and tunnels. For instance, the length of roads constructed in the China border areas in the period from 2014 to 2022 (6,806 km) is almost double the length constructed from 2008-2014 (3,610 km).
 Improving cross-border connectivity to neighboring countries via highways, bridges, inland waterways, railroads, electricity lines and fuel pipelines.
 Modernizing and constructing Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) at all the border crossings to smooth trade, and funding and constructing infrastructure projects in neighboring countries.
 Projects with Nepal - South Asia’s first crossborder petroleum products pipeline Motihari - Amlekhgunj Pipeline. The Mahakali motorable bridge over the Mahakali River connecting Dharchula (India) with Darchula (Nepal), under Indian grant assistance.
 Projects with Myanmar – Development of Sittwe port, Kaladan Multi Modal Transport Project.
 Projects with Bangladesh - Maitri Setu Bridge, High Speed Diesel pipeline with Bangladesh.

What is importance of improving Border infrastructure?
 For Strategic reasons - Successive skirmishes with the Chinese PLA in Chumar in 2014, Doklam in 2017, and the Galwan clashes in 2020.
 Border preparedness - To update the quality of structures, the technology involved and their maintenance.
 Smugglers, drug traffickers, and terrorists often take advantage of poor surveillance and infrastructure at borders.
 Despite border wars and conflicts, the state of infrastructure at India's borders is inadequate and borders are manned by different military, para-military, and police forces, lacking in coordination.