If Army can’t move missile launchers to Indo-China border, how will it fight war?: Centre asks SC

The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that if the Army cannot move its missile launchers, heavy machinery upto the northern Indo-China border, then how will it defend it and fight a war, if it breaks out.

Trying to allay the concerns of landslides in Himalayan regions due to the construction of the wider Chardham highway project, the government said all necessary steps have been taken to mitigate the disaster and added that landslides have happened in various parts of the country and not specifically due to road construction.

The strategic 900-km-long Chardham project worth Rs 12,000 crore aims to provide all-weather connectivity to four holy towns — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath — in Uttarakhand.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath which reserved its verdict on a plea of the Ministry of Defence to modify its earlier order and plea of an NGO ‘Citizens for Green Doon’ against the widening of the road asked them to file written submissions on the steps taken and to be taken to mitigate landslides in the region.

ALSO READ | Char Dham highway project: Army never said we want wide roads, NGO tells Supreme Court

Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for Centre, said “These are inhospitable terrains where Army needs to move heavy vehicles, machineries, weapons, missiles, tanks, troops and food supplies.

Our Brahmos missile is 42 feet long and needs large vehicles to carry its launchers. If the Army cannot move its missile launchers and machineries upto the northern China border, then how will it fight a war, if it breaks out”.

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