The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which is accountable for construction and maintenance of roads at international border areas in the country, has sought to construct two tunnels across Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh. This will cut down the distance to China border through Tawang by 10 km.
The tunnels across the 4,170-metre pass will also help cut down on high-altitude, steep gradient and numerous hairpin bends, thus reducing the travel time between the headquarters of Gajraj Corps (4 Corps) of the Indian Army based at Tezpur in Assam and Tawang by about an hour.
Plan approved
Reports say that BRO has already planned the technical details of this tunnel project and has said that it would have a positive effect on the strategic international border with China beyond Tawang.
During winters, these tunnels will help in ease the movement of troops as the roads at major sectors get cut off due to heavy snow.
A BRO official told The Indian Express that R S Rao, the Commander of 42 BRTF of Project Vartak, has given a nod for beginning the formal land acquisition procedure by handing over a copy of approved alignment plan.
The plan was handed over to Sonal Swaroop, who is deputy commissioner at West Kameng, so that the construction of the tunnel across the pass could be taken up on a priority.
The project
The project plan includes construction of two tunnels – 475 metres and 1,790 metres in length. Making through hairpin bends and steep gradients has always been a rough task for both civilians and the Army.
The plan further mentions of converting single-lane roads to double-lane ones as per National Highway specifications for a stretch of 25 km between Baishakhi and Nurarang.
Reports say that the Tezpur-Tawang stretch has a lot of important landmarks of the 1962 Chinese aggression. Further, it is being said that this would help boost tourism in Arunachal Pradesh.
BRICS- All eyes on Doval
Though National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will be visiting China on July 27 for BRICS meeting, all eyes are focussed on this trip because of the military standoff at Dokalam. It would be the fourth visit by an Indian government official after the standoff between India and China began on June 16.
Earlier Union HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar, Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma and Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda had visited China for the BRICS meeting. But this time, it would be closely watched as Doval is India's special representative for border talks.
One of the professors of international relations from a London-based college told Livemint that Doval's visit is a major opportunity to scale down the temperature at the border.
