The Centre's wildlife panel has cleared several proposals to build infrastructure for troops, ammunition storage and communication networks in eastern Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, official records show.

The new infrastructure, set to be developed in the Changthang High Altitude Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary and the Karakorum Nubra Shyok Wildlife Sanctuary, aims to speed up ammunition access and ensure quicker operational deployment, according to the Ministry of Defence.

India and China were engaged in a 54-month-long military standoff in eastern Ladakh, which began after their troops clashed in the Galwan Valley in May 2020. This standoff ended in October last year.

The proposals for this strategic infrastructure were discussed during a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife, chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on December 21.

Both sanctuaries are home to rare wildlife such as the Tibetan antelope, Tibetan wild ass, snow leopard, Tibetan wolf and numerous bird species.

The Karakorum Nubra Shyok Wildlife Sanctuary also supports species like the Tibetan gazelle, Siberian ibex, bharal (blue sheep) and Bactrian camel.

The areas earmarked for defence infrastructure are treeless but fall within Protected Areas, making them subject to Section 29 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The Defence Ministry has been instructed to ensure no harm is done to the landscape and to comply with regulations to minimise the project's impact on local habitats.

So far, the Standing Committee has approved 107 proposals, covering 2,967.63 hectares in the Changthang High Altitude Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, and 64 proposals, covering 24,625.52 hectares in the Karakorum Nubra Shyok Wildlife Sanctuary.

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