THE STRATEGIC DARBUK–SHYOK–DBO Road

DARBUK–SHYOK-DBO ROAD (DS-DBO ROAD/DSDBO ROAD), ALSO CALLED THE SUB-SECTOR NORTH ROAD. IT IS AN ALL-WEATHER ROAD IN EASTERN LADAKH IN INDIA, CLOSE TO THE LINE OF ACTUAL CONTROL (L.A.C.) WITH CHINA. IT CONNECTS LADAKH'S CAPITAL CITY LEH, VIA THE VILLAGES OF DARBUK AND SHYOK AT SOUTHERN SHYOK VALLEY, WITH THE DAULAT BEG OLDI (DBO) POST NEAR THE CHINA BORDER. THE 225-KM LONG SECTION BETWEEN SHYOK AND DBO WAS CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 2000 AND 2019 BY INDIA'S BORDER ROADS ORGANISATION (BRO).

IMPORTANT FEATURES OF DARBUK-SHYOK-DBO ROAD –

1.  THE 255-KM ROAD FROM DARBUK TRAVELS THROUGH AN ALTITUDE OF 14,000 FEET AND REACHES SHYOK, THE LAST INDIAN VILLAGE IN THE REGION.
2.   THIS ROAD JOINS LEH TO THE KARAKORAM PASS, WHICH DIVIDES LADAKH FROM CHINA’S XINJIANG PROVINCE.
3.   BETWEEN SHYOK AND KARAKORAM PASS LIES DAULAT BEG OLDIE (DBO), A PLATEAU AT AN ALTITUDE OF OVER 16,000 FEET AND THE LOCATION OF AN ADVANCED LANDING GROUND (ALG) USED BY THE AIR FORCE TO DROP SUPPLIES.
4. DBO IS INDIA’S NORTHERNMOST CORNER, WHICH IN ARMY PARLANCE IS CALLED SUB-SECTOR NORTH.

 THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT FIRST ANNOUNCED PLANS TO CONSTRUCT A MOTOR-ABLE ROAD FROM LEH TO ITS DESTINATION AT DAULAT BEG OLDI IN THE YEAR 2000. THE ROAD WAS COMPLETED IN 2019. 

THE 255-KM IS DARBUK-SHYOK-DBO ROAD RUNS AT ELEVATIONS BETWEEN 4,000–5,000 METRES (13,000–16,000 FT). DBO HAS THE WORLD’S HIGHEST AIRSTRIP, ORIGINALLY BUILT DURING THE 1962 WAR BUT ABANDONED UNTIL 2008, WHEN THE INDIAN AIR FORCE (IAF) REVIVED IT AS ONE OF ITS MANY ADVANCED LANDING GROUNDS (ALGS) ALONG THE LAC, WITH THE LANDING OF AN ANTONOV AN-32.

DSDBO AN “ALL-WEATHER” ROAD HAS 37 PREFABRICATED MILITARY TRUSS BRIDGES ALONG IT. PREVIOUSLY AN OLD ROAD, LARGELY A TRACK, EXISTED ALONG THE SAME ALIGNMENT AS THE PUCCA ROAD, BUT WAS PRACTICALLY UNUSABLE DURING SUMMER DUE TO THE FLOODING OF THE SNOW-FED SHYOK RIVER – OR RIVER OF DEATH – AND ITS TRIBUTARIES, INCLUDING THE CHIP CHAP, GALWAN, AND CHANG CHENMO THAT CRISSCROSS IT.

 WHY IS DARBUK-SHYOK-DBO ROAD SO IMPORTANT?

o   DARBUK-SHYOK-DBO ROAD IS LOCATED ONLY 9 KM AWAY FROM THE LAC (LINE OF ACTUAL CONTROL) WITH CHINA & THE ROAD WILL HELP MANAGE THE BORDER AND THE AREAS ADJOINING AKSAI CHIN, CHIP CHAP RIVER AND JIWAN NALLA.
o   IT WILL ALSO ENSURE FASTER DEPLOYMENT OF TROOPS IN THE AREA.
o   BEFORE THE LAYING OF THE ROAD, THE ONLY WAY TO REACH THE AREA WAS VIA THE ADVANCED LANDING GROUND (ALG), WHERE HEAVY-LIFT AIRCRAFT CAN LAND.
o   FROM THE DSDBO ROAD, A ROAD BRANCHES OFF TOWARDS GALWAN VALLEY WHICH HAS PROMPTED THE STAND-OFF IN GALWAN VALLEY (YEAR 2020).
o   INDIAN TROOPS HAVE BEEN PATROLLING UP TO THIS AREA BUT NOW THEY WILL HAVE PROPER ROAD ACCESS AND CAN BE PRESENT THERE.

 WHAT IS MEANT BY AN ALL-WEATHER ROAD?

AN ALL-WEATHER ROAD IS A ROAD WHICH CAN BE USED EFFECTIVELY DURING ALL WEATHERS.IT IS SO CONSTRUCTED THAT THE RAIN WATER IS DRAINED OFF EFFECTIVELY WITH THE HELP OF WELL-PLANNED CROSS DRAINAGE STRUCTURES.AN ALL-WEATHER ROAD CAN ALSO RESIST EXTREMELY COLD CLIMATE WITHOUT BEING DETERIORATED.