An Indian wildlife committee has approved various infrastructure proposals submitted by the Ministry of Defence, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). These projects, primarily located within the Changthang Cold Desert and Karakoram (Nubra-Shayok) wildlife sanctuaries in Ladakh, encompass new border outposts, a brigade headquarters, ammunition storage facilities, high-altitude training areas, and bridge/culvert works. The approvals were granted with the stipulation of strict environmental safeguards, intended to mitigate potential impacts on the region's fragile Himalayan ecosystems.
Among the specific installations recommended are two Formation Ammunition Storage Facilities (FASF), one at Tsogtsalu spanning 24.2 hectares and another at KM-47 covering 47.1 hectares. A 48.6-hectare Training Node Area at Tara, situated at approximately 15,500 feet above sea level, was approved to provide realistic high-altitude tactical training for troops. Additionally, a 40-hectare site at Chushul has been sanctioned for a Brigade Headquarters for the 142 Infantry Brigade and its related support units. Further approvals include an artillery battery and an Army camp within the Karakoram Sanctuary, alongside three new ITBP border outposts and a transit detachment, all located within these designated wildlife sanctuaries.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/wildlife-panel-clears-13-defence-paramilitary-projects-in-ladakh-arunachal/article70252661.ece