Why in the News?
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has achieved a historic milestone by constructing the world’s highest motorable road at Mig La Pass, situated 19,400 feet above sea level in Ladakh.
What is Project Himank?
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About Mig La Pass:
- Location: Situated on the Changthang Plateau, eastern Ladakh, near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
- Elevation: Stands at 19,400 ft (5,913 m), now the highest motorable road in the world (2025), overtaking Umling La (19,024 ft).
- Alignment: Lies along the Likaru–Mig La–Fukche route, forming a third strategic link from Hanle to Fukche near the Indo-China border.
- Connectivity Role: Provides access to remote frontier villages—Hanle, Rongo, Kuyul, and Demchok—improving healthcare, communication, and supply access.
- Geography: Part of the Changthang cold desert, with thin air, permafrost, and extreme cold, posing major engineering challenges.
- Historical Link: Follows ancient Indo-Tibetan trade routes, reflecting Ladakh’s role in trans-Himalayan Silk Route exchanges.
- Strategic Value: Enables rapid troop movement and logistics support in high-altitude sectors; promotes eco-tourism and local trade.
| [UPSC 2007] Which one of the following Himalayan passes was reopened around in the middle of the year 2006 to facilitate trade between India and China?
Options: (a) Chang La (b) Jara La (c) Nathu La* (d) Shipki La |
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