Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm Deal:

• The Trincomalee oil tank farm deal is a long-desired project that has been a source of contention for a long time.

• This project has been in the works between India and Sri Lanka for 16 months.

• Udaya Gammanpila, Sri Lanka`s Energy Minister, has directed the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to set up a subsidiary called Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd for this purpose.

• President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has approved the formation of a special purpose vehicle.

• During WWII, the British constructed the "Trincomalee Oil Tank Farms" as a refuelling station. It was built next to the Trincomalee port, which has a lovely natural harbour.

• The century-old oil tanks, on the other hand, will need to be refurbished before they can be re-used, which will cost millions of dollars.

• The proposal to renovate the oil farm was included in a 35-year-old Indo-Lanka agreement.

• The Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm is located in `China Bay.` It is made up of 99 storage tanks, each with a capacity of 12,000 kilolitres and spread across the Lower and Upper Tank Farms.

• Lanka IOC currently has 15 tanks in operation. A new agreement is being negotiated for the remaining tanks.

• The Upper Tank Farm will be built in partnership with Indian Oil Corporation and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.

India: 27 Border Infrastructure Projects Launched

• Border Roads Organisation (BRO) built these across four Indian states and two union territories.

• Despite the difficulties of working at high altitudes and in sub-zero temperatures, the Defence Minister praised BRO for completing these projects.

• The Minister also announced the establishment of `BRO Cafes` in 75 locations as part of the `Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav` celebrations.

• These roads and bridges were constructed to allow troops to move quickly across India`s borders with China and Pakistan.

• These projects will also boost tourism and ensure the region`s socio economic development.

• The most notable of the new bridges was India`s first indigenous Class 70 140-foot Double-Lane Modular Bridge.

• It was built at an elevation of 11,000 feet on Flag Hill Dokala in Sikkim.

• The completion of the Chisumle-Demchok road at Ladakh`s over 19,000-foot Umling La Pass is also significant.

• According to Guinness World Records, the road is the world`s highest motorable road. This road will be used as a shortcut between Leh and Demchock.

• With the completion of the Flag Hill-Doklam Road, Indian troops will have a faster route to the Doklam plateau.

National Current Affairs December 4th Week 2021