GUWAHATI: Connectivity within land-locked frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh received a shot in the arm with Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, through a virtual programme on Monday morning dedicating 44 bridges constructed by the Border Road Organization (BRO) in five states and one union territory including Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in the North East.
Other states where those bridges are located, include Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and union territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
Singh also laid the foundation stone of the Nechiphu tunnel on the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang (BCT) road in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The dedication and foundation laying ceremony was also attended by Chief Minister Pema Khandu along with Chief Ministers of Sikkim and Uttarakhand and Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, DoNER minister Dr Jitendra Singh, BRO Director General Lt Gen Harpal Singh and other top Defence, Home and BRO officials.
Of the 44 bridges, eight are in Arunachal Pradesh – these are Yasong and Sarti in Anjaw, Karteso Kong and Kangdang Sila in Shi-Yomi, Tanchen Panga in West Siang, Ungu in Upper Subansiri, Siang in Siang and Sigit in Upper Siang districts.
Khandu expressed gratitude to the central leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for their concern and intention to develop border states with modern infrastructure.
He said despite harsh conditions and unpredictable climate, engineers and workers of BRO toil day and night to not only build roads and bridges but also keep the existing ones motor able in the state.
“These eight bridges in Arunachal Pradesh has augmented road connectivity in remote border districts that will immensely benefit the locals as well as personnel of the defence posted in far-off border outposts,” Khandu observed.
He hailed BRO for starting the work on the much anticipated Nechiphu tunnel on the BTC road that will bypass the existing road from 81.840 Km (P1) to 87.040 Km (P2) and reducing the road length by 4.713 Km. The tunnel will be 450 m long, D-shaped, and consist of two-lane carriageways of 3.5 m width each.
Most importantly, the tunnel will bypass the existing portion of the road, which remains foggy all the year round. Poor visibility even during daytime has been a cause of several casualties in the past and of serious concern to commuters.
Khandu expressed optimism that the Nechiphu tunnel would be completed by the premier construction agency on time.
