Chinese helicopters entered Indian airspace in Himachal Pradesh in April

MANALI: Chinese helicopters entered 12 to 15 kilometres into Indian airspace in Himachal Pradesh 's Spiti and Kinnaur districts two times in April. An official said the helicopters were seen on April 11 and April 20 in Lepcha, Samdo and Chango regions near the Indo-Tibetan border and the matter reported to the higher authorities.

Additional district magistrate at Kaza in Spiti, Gian Singh Negi confirmed the intrusions, saying, "The helicopter movement was reported from the Spiti border. They were seen near Samdo, which separates Kinnaur from Spiti valley."

HP director general of police Sita Ram Mardi confirmed the airspace violations, saying the helicopters were seen in Kinnaur district last month.

This is not for the first time that Chinese Army has infiltrated the Indian border in Himachal Pradesh. As in Ladakh and North East, border violations have become frequent in Himachal and Chinese helicopters have been sighted in Kinnaur and Spiti earlier too.

It happened in July 2017, March 2016 and in 2011. In December 2012, a wireless transmitter, believed to be of a Chinese spy, was found in Moorang area of Kinnaur, about 10km inside the border and close to an Army check-post.

As China has developed many airstrips close to the Indian border, Spiti residents have been demanding a military-cum-civil airstrip in the valley to strengthen both strategic and local infrastructure of the region. An airstrip was proposed at Rangrik, about 7km from Kaza, but the project did not get the final approval despite many surveys.

Himachal and China share over 200km border in Kinnaur and Spiti. Besides police, the area is under strict surveillance of Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Army.