ITANAGAR, Oct 12: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh through a virtual programme on Monday morning laid the foundation stone of the Nechiphu tunnel on the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang (BCT) road in West Kameng district of Arunachal.
The minister also dedicated 44 bridges constructed by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) in five states and one union territory, including Arunachal and Sikkim in the Northeast. Other states include Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, and the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
The dedication and foundation laying ceremony was also attended by Chief Minister Pema Khandu along with the CMs of Sikkim and Uttarakhand, the lieutenant governor of J&K, 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. 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 Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi “for their concern and intention to develop border states with modern infrastructure.”
“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 motorable in the state. These eight bridges in Arunachal Pradesh have 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 said.
He hailed the BRO for starting the work on the Nechiphu tunnel on the BTC road. It will bypass the existing road from 81.840 km (P1) to 87.040 km (P2) and reduce the road’s length by 4.713 kms.
The tunnel will be 450 m long, D-shaped, and consist of two-lane carriageways of 3.5 m width each. It will bypass the existing portion of the road, which remains foggy all year round.
Congratulating the BRO for successfully completing the Atal Tunnel, which was inaugurated by the prime minister on 3 October, Khandu expressed optimism that the Nechiphu tunnel would also be completed by the premier construction agency on time.
The CM was joined by Lok Sabha MP Tapir Gao, Pangin MLA Ojing Tasing and the BRO’s Project Arunank Chief Engineer AS Chonkor. (CM’s PR Cell)
