Indo-China border: BRO links remote villages through critical roads

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) recently connected an operationally critical road ahead of the Limeking on Tama Chung Chung (TCC)-Maza axis along the Indo-China border.

The BRO created history with this landmark achievement of connecting TCC with Bidak, about 25 kilometers away.

A BRO team led by Project Arunank CE, 23 BRTF commander, 128 RCC OC, among other officers, drove in a 4X2 vehicle from Limeking to Bidak in two hours that day to assess the road status, according to BRO sources.

Work on critical TCC-Bidak road, commenced in 2009, has been executed against formidable challenges, including difficult and inhospitable terrain, inclement weather conditions with unpredictable rains for almost eight to nine months in a year, dense vegetation, thick undergrowth, jagged and steep mountains with near vertical mountain slopes and turbulent River Tsari Chu flowing along the alignment.

Though the BRO is adept in working under similar challenging conditions since inception, the challenges on this particular stretch of road were unique and difficult to handle by the tough job was accomplished. This could be made possible only due to the persistent painstaking efforts of engineers and personnel 128 RCC/HQ 23 BRTF and with the strong support of project headquarters for the last two years.

The task entailed establishment of an air maintained detachment at Gelemo and air lifting all the construction equipment and vehicles after dismantling them. These included supply of and use of heavy excavating machinery, drilling machinery, heavy earth moving equipments like dozers and vehicles.

The Indian Air Force played a major role by providing air lift. Smaller equipment, like compressors, fuel, explosives and rations were transported with manual labour on many occasions when air lifting was not possible due to inclement weather. All equipment had to be reassembled at the other end. BRO personnel along with casual labourer camped in tented accommodation for months together and even survived off the jungle.

A major boost was given to the effort in 2017 by launching first single span 200-feet Bailey bridge over formidable Subansiri River on October 24 last year. Despite the huge challenges, the indomitable spirit of BRO personnel, commitment and high morale ensured completion of the task but at the cost of lives of four personnel during the construction.

This has evoked appreciation from civil administration and the public, particularly for 128 RCC/23 BRTF, and the road of course added yet another feather in the cap of "TWENTY THREE...ON WINNING SPREE", while it continues to strive for nation's security with commitment to Arunachal Pradesh development, the sources added.

The views expressed in the above article are that of Mr. Pradeep Kumar, Editor, Arunachal Observer.

--ANI