Smarter Army posts along border with China to improve living conditions of troops

A pilot project to raise the living standards of troops on tough terrains has been completed in Arunachal Pradesh 

A pilot project in the Eastern Himalayas is set to usher in smarter facilities for raising the living standards of troops posted along the border with China.

Army engineers used a mix of materials, including bamboo and other locally available resources, to give shape to a “first-of-its-kind integrated” post beyond 10,000 ft above mean sea level in the Tawang sector of western Arunachal Pradesh in November 2021.

The model post is ready for the soldiers to move in. Two more such posts in the Northern Sector (Arunachal Pradesh is a part of it) are expected to be completed by December.

“The plan was to create a model post for troops on the frontline as an integrated project keeping in mind the space, essential troop comfort, weather protection, amenities like running water, power requirements, safety and connectivity. The selected location for the model post was winter cut-off at high altitude,” a Defence statement said.

Army officials said the requirement of better habitats for troops to “boost their morale” has been an area of improvement, gathering pace after a considerable push to border infrastructure in terms of connectivity during the last decade.

“Improved living conditions for troops in secluded and cut-off posts away from family started getting the desired push in the last few years,” a spokesperson said.

Officials admitted that the living conditions in such posts, with soldiers “billeted in a prefabricated shelter or living bunkers”, have been sub-par because of difficult terrain and technological limitations.