Indian Army is planning to construct underground tunnels for storage of ammunition along the border with China and Pakistan and Public Sector Undertaking NHPC Limited is being roped in for the purpose, army sources said.
“Indian Army is in the process of executing pilot projects for construction of semi underground and cavern type ammunition storage construction through NHPC Ltd., for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed in the next few days,” an Army source said on Wednesday.
Underground storage offers improved safety, easier camouflage from enemy observation and satellite imagery and protection from enemy strikes like those seen during the aerial engagement on February 27, a day after the Balakot air strike when Pakistan Air Force jets targeted Indian army installations along the Line of Control (LoC). Major armies, including China and the U.S., already use underground ammunition storage, a second source observed.
ADVERTISEMENT
These tunnels will be built in high altitude areas in the Northern and Eastern borders. Initially, four pilot projects would be taken up at four different locations along the Northern border and in Jammu and Kashmir at a cost of ₹15 crore, the source said. “These are expected to be completed within two years.”
As the conditions in the caverns are controlled, it ensures better safety of sensitive ammunition minimising accidental explosions. As part of the project, a number of caverns with storage capacity of 200 metric tonnes will be built in mountain folds in identified areas.
NHPC is being roped in for their technical expertise in the development of tunnels. The source said the Army had earlier tried tunnelling on its own in Sikkim and Tawang, but there were problems of seepage and dampness. It was then decided to bring in NHPC given their experience, the source added.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Army had approached NHPC in November 2018 after which the company made detailed presentations on the modalities of executing the project. The four locations for pilot projects have been identified and work will begin once the MoU is signed.
The Army has debated the idea of underground storage of ammunition for a long time as it has several advantages compared to over ground storage. A range of ammunition used by the Army, ranging from bullets, rockets to anti-tank and surface to air missiles, can be stored in the caverns.