Chandigarh: ITBP creates 'marshy track' to train drivers in dealing with difficult terrain

In a bid to train drivers for navigating slippery roads in difficult terrains in the high-altitude mountain regions, the Transport Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Chandigarh, took a first-of-its-kind initiative and created its own marshy road driving track and initiated training procedures on those tracks. 

The tracks aim to train drivers of the ITPB forces to travel on such challenging roads in the Himalayas and also train the drivers and motor mechanics to deal with certain mountain driving and maintenance drills and procedures as it requires special care for vehicles to maintain them roadworthy at mountainous terrain and sub-zero temperatures.

Notably, this comes in the backdrop of multiple challenges faced by the troops of the Indian Army as well as the ITBP, including landslide zones and Kacha road en route to Border Out Posts (BOPs), where vehicles usually at times get stuck in such marshy track due to excessive rainfall.

Speaking on the same, the ITBP in a statement claimed that the driving track will help in providing a real-training environment to the ITBP motor transport personnel.

"The ITBP will be expanding this training area with a multi-driving training track soon with Cross country, speed breakers, zig-zag, steep slope gradient, and ditch track", it added. 

All about ITBP

Raised on October 24, 1962, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police is a specialized Armed Police Force in the country which aims to train its personnel in various disciplines including mountaineering and skiing apart from intensive tactical training, thereby creating a distinctive image of the Force. In addition to that, the ITBP also participates in conducting relief and rescue operations as 'First Responders' for natural calamities in the Himalayan region.

Presently, ITBP primarily guards 3,488 km long India-China borders ranging from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh. It also has a crucial role in many internal security duties and operations against the Left Wing Extremism in the state of Chhattisgarh. Most of the ITBP's Border Out Posts (BOPs) are located at altitudes ranging from 9,000 ft to 18,800 ft where temperatures drop to minus 45 degrees Celsius in extreme winters. 

(Image: ANI)