To strengthen infrastructure along the India-China border on Tuesday Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate Siyom Bridge in Siang district Arunachal Pradesh. This is one of the 28 infrastructure projects of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) which are going to be built to facilitate the movement of heavy artillery and movement of the troops of the Indian Armed Forces along the India-China border.
The 100-metre long steel arch Siyom Bridge over River Siyom will be built under Project Brahmank, part of BRO and is located along the Along-Yingkiong Road. This bridge is expected to help improve road communication in the Upper Siang district and beyond, through Along.
Significance of his visit
The minister will reach Chabua Air Base in Eastern Assam today (Jan 2, 2023) and tomorrow he will be at Boleng to inaugurate the project.
This assumes significance as this would be his first visit following the recent clash between the troops of Indian Army and the Chinese PLA at Tawang Sector on December 9, 2023.
He will virtually inaugurate the rest of 27 projects and release BRO Vision and New Tech Handbook.
Financial Express Online has reported earlier that in the last five years BRO has so far constructed around 64 roads of 3,097 kms in Arunachal Pradesh. This information was recently shared in the Parliament.
BRO Projects
A total of 28 projects at the cost of Rs 724.3 crore are being undertaken by BRO across the country in strategic locations – including eight in Ladakh, two in Rajasthan, three each in Uttarakhand and Punjab and four have been identified in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
What is BRO going to construct?
The new eight projects include around five bridges of various spans in Ladakh and these will be on the strategic Durbuk -Shyok – Daulat Beg Oldie Road and 240 feet Jhula Suspension Bridge on Ramban Old Alignment. And also a telemedicine node located in the remotest location close to DBO in Ladakh will be inaugurated tomorrow through VSAT to Service hospitals. This will help in providing prompt medical intervention for surgical emergencies and more through Telemedicine consultation.
The bridges being constructed at an altitude of 14000 feet in Ladakh are very critically located on D-S-DBO Road. And once completed these bridges are expected to facilitate faster induction of the troops, movement of heavy equipment and mechanised vehicles to the forward areas in Ladakh up to Karakoram Ranges, and also Galwan valley, where at some friction points the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops continues.
About 240 ft Jhula Bailey Suspension Bridge
This is located on Ramban Old Alignment Road. And this is expected to be open to vehicular traffic in just 31 days, two months ahead of its scheduled completion and once the bridge is completed it will benefit around 15,000people between Maitra and Bowli Bazaar area as it will shorten the distance by almost 12 kms.