Eyes on China — Govt to Build Strategic Tunnels Towards Sino Frontier

Truth v/s Hype
Jul 24, 2017 · 2 min read

Undoubtedly, a faster commute to the Chinese border will be a deterrent to China’s growing showbiz. The recent move by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) seems to have planned just that.

To reduce and facilitate trouble free army movements, the BRO will construct two tunnels through 4170-metre Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh, which will cut down India’s proximity to China by 10 kms through Tawang.

The hairpin bends and high elevation are barriers to easy travelling, something that a tunnel can provide at such an high altitude and cut down time b/w Army’s 4 Corps headquarters at Tezpur and Tawang.

The tunnels will especially be useful during the rainy and winter season when the connectivity is obstructed due to rain and snow.

The Indian Express has reported that the land acquisition process has been initiated and the construction of tunnel would be prioritized. R S Rao, Commander of 42 BRTF of Project Vartak gave the approved alignment plan to the West Kameng deputy commissioner Sonal Swaroop on Thursday.

The slopes and the bends are a risky way for convoy movements. Normally it may not be of much harm, but in war like situation, the same could be a stumbling block.

The plan also includes double laning of the highway for a 25 km stretch between Baishakhi and Nurarang. The Sela Pass is an important landmark of the 1962 Indo-China war.

Based on legend stories by local legends, Indian rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat killed more than 150 Chinese Soldiers and that the enemies were so annoyed by the lone warrior that they cut off and took his head back to China as a war souvenir.

After the war was over, the commander of Chinese forces, returned his head along with a brass bust of the soldier as a token of respect for his audacity.

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