BRO seeks land for tunnels to cut travel time to China

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has sought land for two-lane tunnels bypassing Sela – a mountain pass at 13,700 ft – to shorten by almost 7km the road to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China.

This is in keeping with India’s bid for faster access to the Tibet frontier through the tough terrain of the state in the Eastern Himalayas.

RS Rao, the commander of the 42 Border Road Task Force under BRO’s Project Vartak, handed over a copy of the approved alignment plan to West Kameng deputy commissioner (DC) Sonal Swaroop on July 20.

“We have also submitted to the DC a request for initiating land acquisition proceedings so that construction of the tunnels can be taken up on priority,” Rao said.

The tunnels, a BRO spokesperson said, would help shave 6.5 km off the 496 km road from Guwahati to Tawang via Bhalukpong on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. This translates into saving travel time by close to an hour since the present singlelane road has a number of hairpin bends.

Vehiclescanmovefasterwhen the road widening work under way is done, he added.

There’s a shorter but less used road along the Bhutan border via Orang in Assam and Kalaktang in Arunachal Pradesh.

“The new alignment of the road to Tawang involves 12.37 km and the construction of two tunnels – one 475m and the other 1.79 km long – to bypass Sela and a number of hairpin bends. The altitude of the new alignment will