General M M Naravane conducts aerial survey of border outposts in Uttarakhand, likely to visit Pithoragarh

Amid continuing tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, Army Chief Gen M M Narvane on Thursday undertook an aerial survey of India’s border outposts along the Indo-China border in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. The Army chief conducted an aerial recce of Rimkhim, Niti and Laptal border outposts (BOPs) in Chamoli district on Thursday, official sources said. 

Gen Naravane, who began his Uttarakhand tour on Wednesday with a visit to Mana, the last Indian village on the Indo-China border, is understood to have arrived here to review the operational preparedness of the Army.  After a visit to Mana, the Army chief reached the brigade headquarters at Joshimath where he interacted with officials and stayed at night.  He began his aerial survey of the border outspots on Thursday morning before leaving for Nainital where he will stay for the night, the sources said. 

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Gen Naravane is likely to visit Pithoragarh on Friday before going to Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. Though officials were tight-lipped about the Army chief’s visit, he is understood to have come for a first-hand assessment of the situation on the Indo-China border in Uttarakhand and for boosting the morale of the defence personnel.

The 3,488 km-long India-China border stretches through Jammu and Kashmir (1,597 km), Himachal Pradesh (200 km), Uttarakhand (345 km), Sikkim (220 km) and Arunachal Pradesh (1,126 km). China has allegedly made several incursions into India at Barahoti in Chamoli districts of Uttarakahnd a few years ago.