LEH, July 21 — In a major push to counter China’s expanding military infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India is upgrading a strategically critical 255-km road in eastern Ladakh to support the movement of heavy military equipment, including tanks and missile-laden trucks.
The Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DS-DBO) road — the only land access to the Galwan Valley and the forward base at Daulat Beg Oldie near the Karakoram Pass — is being reinforced to “class 70” specifications, sources said. This will allow the route and its 37 bridges to bear loads of up to 70 tonnes, enabling passage of Army tank carriers and trucks capable of transporting long-range missiles.
“This is a vital artery not just for logistics but for deterrence,” a senior official familiar with the upgrade said. “Its strengthening is aligned with our long-term strategic interests in Sub Sector North.”
The high-altitude DS-DBO road runs through barren terrain in the Karakoram range, connecting Leh with DBO at over 16,600 feet. It is vital for sustaining Indian military positions across the “Sub Sector North” (SSN), a sensitive region bordering China’s Xinjiang province and abutting the Depsang Plains — the site of a prolonged military standoff between Indian and Chinese troops from May 2020 until October 2024.
In June 2020, Galwan Valley, located along this axis, saw a deadly clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers. Since then, thousands of troops from both sides have remained deployed near the LAC. Indian military planners continue to factor in a scenario where China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could push westward through the Depsang Plains, attempting to cut off Indian access to DBO and the Karakoram Pass.
Holding onto the SSN is considered non-negotiable by Indian defence planners. “This is about securing one of the most tactically crucial points in Ladakh,” a defence source said.
To reduce reliance on the DS-DBO road and improve operational redundancy, India is simultaneously developing an alternate route via the Leh-Saser La-Murgo-DBO axis. Unlike the DS-DBO, this alignment remains outside the line of sight of Chinese patrols.
As part of this alternate axis, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is laying a four-kilometre concrete stretch across Saser La — a mountain pass located at an altitude of 17,800 feet. This section will be integrated into a 56-km military-grade road connecting Sasoma, Saser La and Murgo, where it will join the existing DS-DBO road.
A rough track along the Sasoma-Murgo route was activated in August 2020 during the peak of the India-China military standoff, and the BRO has been working since then to upgrade and widen the alignment.
In 2022, the National Board for Wildlife approved the passage of this new road through 55 hectares of the ecologically sensitive Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, clearing a key legal hurdle in its development.
Defence officials said the new alignment is likely to be completed by next year and will significantly enhance India’s ability to sustain forward deployments and respond to any contingency along the LAC.
