Lipulekh (Geography)
Lipulekh (Geography)
Why In News:
Recently, Lipulekh - one of India's most strategically significant mountain passes has been in news amid ongoing developments in India's border infrastructure and the broader India-Nepal-China trijunction area.
What is the Lipulekh Pass?
Lipulekh Pass: A high-altitude mountain pass at approximately 17,500 feet in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand.
Located at the trijunction of India, Nepal, and China (Tibet) - making it one of India's most sensitive border areas.
India uses Lipulekh as a route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra (pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, China) - administered by the Ministry of External Affairs.
The India-Nepal Territorial Dispute
Nepal claims the Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura-Kalapani area as its territory under the Sugauli Treaty of 1816 (signed between Nepal and the British East India Company after the Anglo-Nepalese War).
India considers the area part of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand. The dispute escalated significantly in 2020 when India inaugurated the Dharchula-Lipulekh road.
Nepal amended its Constitution in 2020 to incorporate the disputed territories (Kalapani, Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh) into its official political map, elevating the dispute to a constitutional level.
Strategic Significance
The road to Lipulekh, built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), has reduced travel time for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra significantly.
Provides India with direct all-weather road access close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) - critical for military logistics and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) deployment.
The Kalapani area is a forested valley at the confluence of rivers forming the Mahakali (Sharda) River - the boundary marker under the Sugauli Treaty.
Key Facts for Prelims
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Routes: Three routes: (1) Via Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand), (2) Via Nathu La Pass (Sikkim), (3) Helicopter route (Uttarakhand). MEA administers all three.
BRO (Border Roads Organisation): Under the Ministry of Defence. Responsible for building and maintaining roads in border areas. Key projects: Project Shivalik, Project Himank, Project Beacon, Project Swastik.