DEHRADUN: On Friday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh raised the possibility that enemies of India may be involved in the rising frequency of natural disasters in border states and Union Territories. “The frequency of natural disasters has risen in some states and union territories like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Ladakh. Experts believe it is linked to climate change. But I think a study needs to be conducted to find if there is also a role of our adversaries in it,” said Singh without naming any adversary nation in particular. 

He added that the help of friendly nations can be taken for such a study. Furthermore, he added that climate change is no longer just a weather-related phenomenon but is also linked to national security. 

The minister made these comments during a gathering at the Dhak village near Joshimath after he inaugurated 35 border area infrastructure projects across several states being undertaken by the Border Roads Organisation for Rs 670 crore. These projects include 29 bridges and six roads for Uttrakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. 

According to a report by PTI, Singh, during his speech, said that the Narendra Modi government's approach to border areas is different to previous governments. He said that the government does not treat border areas as mere buffer zones, instead seeing them as part of the mainstream. “We want to go on our development journey from the seas to the borders. That is why we are creating world-class infrastructure also in our border areas,” said the Defence Minister.