Well done

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has done well to restore the Dawaltbaigh old air strip in Leh district. The elite force has thus kept the promise it had made some time ago. The airfield was closed more than four decades ago after having served its immediate purpose against the Chinese aggression in 1962.

It overlooks the strategic Karakoram pass. Surely, there are other air strips in the State as well; these have been set up as a contingency measure and are waiting to be fully revived.

We find it heartening that the IAF already has such plans for Chushul and Fukche. A road is also likely to be constructed along the Line of Actual Control. It is absolutely necessary to have a first-class transport network in hilly and far-flung areas to bridge their distance from the mainland.