From Bhupen Goswami
GUWAHATI : The Government of India has started the development of the border region at the fastest pace after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Tibet and Brahmaputra rivers. The Indian Army and the Air Force have decided to monitor China’s activities through drone cameras and satellites. Amid ongoing tensions with China on LAC, the Border Road Organisation (BRO) carried out the last blast of the Sela Tunnel, a strategic tunnel connecting Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
With this blast, the construction of this tunnel may now be expedited. Because now the work on the main tunnel and escape tunnel will start simultaneously. China has approved plans to build a massive dam on the Brahmaputra river during the current 14th Five Year Plan this year, which has raised concerns in the coastal states of India and Bangladesh. Nyangchi, a province-level city in Tibet, borders Arunachal Pradesh. China describes Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet, a claim that India has always strongly rejected. There is a border dispute between India and China on the 3,488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC). Speaking on the occasion, the Dalai Lama said that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Tibet is a threat to India.
There, he met senior officials of the Tibet Military Command and reviewed the development projects being undertaken in the region. Xi arrived on a visit to Tibet at a time when the standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh has continued since May last year. According to the Defence Ministry, Lt Gen Rajiv Chaudhary, Director General, BRO carried out the last blast of escape tube (tunnel) of Sela Tunnel through video-conferencing in the capital Delhi. Senior BRO officials, Chief Engineers of Project-Vartak and 42 Task Forces as well as representatives of Patel Engineering Limited, a company that played a key role in the construction of the tunnel, were also present. Under BRO’s Project Vartak, the main tunnel (1555 m) long connecting Balipur-Chardur-Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh and the escape tube (980 m) of this tunnel are progressing at a rapid pace. The foundation stone of this all-weather tunnel was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2019. The first blast of the tunnel was carried out in April 2019. Bro has also released a video of the tunnel along with the last blast in which worker and JCB machines can be seen. The light can be clearly seen at the end of the tunnel in the video. According to the Defence Ministry, the Sela Tunnel is being developed with new Austrian tunneling technology. Under this, the tunnel is being constructed much below the snow line so that there is no need to remove snow in the winter season.
The Defence Ministry claims that the tunnel will become the longest tunnel in the world after it is constructed at an altitude of 13,000 feet. The Ministry of Agriculture issued a statement saying that the construction of the tanal will greatly speed up the reach of Tawang along the China border from Tezpur in Assam. Because at present the speed of trains on sela-pass (pass) is very low. On completion of tunnel construction, the entire North-Eastern State region including Arunachal Pradesh will develop at a rapid pace. In addition, the response operation of the soldiers will also be expedited in case of natural calamities or adverse conditions. According to reports, the construction of the tunnel can also lead to faster movement of soldiers deployed on the LAC. Just last week, Home Minister Amit Shah elaborated on the country’s border policy at a BA SF event. According to the Home Minister, six tunnels were successfully constructed on the country’s borders in the last six years.
