[ Bengia Ajum ]
BHALUKPONG, 16 Dec: The process for permanent demarcation of the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh interstate boundary has started here in West Kameng district.
As a pilot project, the survey for demarcation began on Friday for three areas: Kamengbari, Doimara, and Bhalukpong. The survey is being conducted under the supervision of the Survey of India (Meghalaya & Arunachal), in collaboration with the governments of Arunachal and Assam.
This move is a landmark initiative towards resolving the longstanding boundary disputes that have persisted since 1951. On Thursday, a preliminary meeting had been held at the Sonitpur DC office in Tezpur (Assam) to discuss the modalities of the survey. This survey will cover 12 districts that share boundaries with Assam.
“This survey – the first of its kind – aims to provide a comprehensive delineation of the ISB. The Survey of India (Meghalaya & Arunachal) director is leading the delineation efforts, in coordination with the respective state governments,” informed Rome Mele, Assistant Director of Border Affairs Department.
The initial survey took place in Chopai area of West Kameng, with subsequent surveys scheduled for the disputed areas of Kamengbari and Bhalukpong. The entire operation is expected to be completed in 15 days.
Circle Officer Kesang Wangda reported the challenging nature of the survey, given the lack of tracks in the dense forest areas. To overcome this, a dedicated team is clearing the jungles to facilitate the Survey of India team in obtaining accurate coordinates for the installation of border pillars.
Once the survey is completed, Arunachal is expected to gain approximately 7 square kilometres beyond the High-powered Tripartite Committee Line, commonly known as the Survey of India (SoI) Line. Following the pilot survey in West Kameng, only 11 districts in Arunachal will continue to have disputed territories with Assam.
“Survey is being conducted in those districts where disputes have been resolved by the local regional committees,” the Mele added.
This pilot survey is the culmination of joint efforts by the two state governments. It started with the establishment of 12 regional committees on 1 June, 2022, followed by the Namsai Declaration on 15 July, 2022. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on 20 April by the chief ministers of the two states in the presence of union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. This MoU resulted in a substantial reduction in the number of disputed villages, allowing for the initiation of the ISB delineation process in those areas.
Arunachal’s border affairs department, which looks after the interstate border affairs, is overseeing the survey.
