In news : Recently, the Border Security Force(BSF) handed over the access control of India Bridge to Gujarat state Police
About India Bridge
- Location: It is located on the Khavda-Vighakot highway a crucial access point to the Indo-Pakistan international border in Kutch district
- BSF handed over to Gujarat Police to facilitate movement of goods and resources for the proposed 30,000 MegaWatt (MW) hybrid renewable energy park close to the international border in Kutch district
- Currently, the BSF provides security and controls access to India Bridge, one of the crucial connecting points for movement of goods towards the India-Pak border.
- BSF will redeploy the manpower relieved from India Bridge duty to forward areas closer to the international border.
- India bridge, around 39 km from the international border, is the first of three checkpoints that BSF controls. The other two checkpoints are BOP (border outpost) Dharamshala and Chidya mod
- With the passage of time, strategic importance of the India Bridge has also come down as multiple points of access have been created to reach the international border
- Earlier, India Bridge was the sole connecting link between the border and the inland areas. It was also the last accessible point for civilians,
Hybrid renewable energy park & India Bridge
- Prime Minister of India had laid foundation stone for the park at an event in Dhordo village near Khavda on December 15 last year
- The state government of Gujarat had identified a huge tract of land – 1,00,000 hectares of wasteland – right on the international border with Pakistan near Khavda, 72 km north of Bhuj, the district headquarters of Kutch, for the proposed mega hybrid renewable energy park.
- In April 2020, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) gave its approval for 72,600 hectares on which the hybrid renewable energy park will be built.
- Two zones: This park will consist of two zones.
- The first is a Hybrid Park Zone on 49,600 hectares which will accommodate 24,800 MW of wind and solar power plants.
- The second park of this park will be an exclusive wind park zone which will be spread over 23,000 hectares and will accommodate wind mill projects.
- The project will be located between Khavda village and Vighakot.
- The project site is nearly 25 km from Khavda village, which is the last point that can be accessed by civilians in the area. The closest to the border is the Exclusive Wind Park Zone, which will be located within 1-6 km of the international border.
- The Hybrid Park Zone will be located behind the six-km area from the border.
- The project involves National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd, Gujarat State Electricity Corporation and several private firms including Adani Green Energy Ltd
- For the entire exclusive Wind Zone Park, 23,000 hectares has been allotted to the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to set up wind projects under the competitive bidding route policy.
- “An 18-km road is going to be built by the state public works department. It will bypass India bridge and provide access to the project (site).
- There are a number of “no-go zones” around the project that belong to either the Army or the BSF.
Source: Indian Express
