The situation at Pangong Tso, the site of the other ongoing standoff between India and China, has taken a serious turn with Chinese troops using the six-week period to fortify defences that may be difficult to dismantle, if and when talks take place on a pullback.People familiar with the details told ET that while all the attention has been on Galwan Valley, the Chinese have quietly built big, seemingly permanent, structures in the area between Fingers 4 and 8 in Pangong Tso.
Ground reports as well as fresh satellite images available with the armed forces show that after occupying the area up to the feature called Finger 4 — located more than 5 km inside India’s perception of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) — in early May, the Chinese side has carried out a big construction project that includes several new structures. A marina-like facade has come up near the lake with hardened defences along the ridge line.All these constructions, sources said, have been carried out in just over a month, after a clash on the night of May 5, when an Indian patrol party was stopped by the Chinese from crossing Finger 4, resulting in injuries to soldiers on both sides.Other Headlines:Parties unite behind Centre, offer tactics, strategies: All top quotes here Ahead of talks with China over Ladakh standoff, India signals a realistic approachIndia seeks to contain Chinese influence in UN
Chinese Defences on Heights
Route Blocked
Sources said the new structures would block any possibility of Indian troops crossing the Finger 4 bend along the lake — the traditional route used for patrolling. Also, a series of bunkers have been constructed on the ridge along Finger 4, which gives the Chinese side a dominant view — and, potentially, firing range — over the Indian side of the Finger Area.Source: Economic Times
