India opens its longest bridge near China border
TINSUKIA — India opened its longest bridge close to the border with China in a move seen as bolstering its defenses in a sensitive region.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the third anniversary of his rule by inaugurating the 9.1 kilometer (5.7 mile) long Dhola-Sadiya bridge over the Brahmaputra river that will link Assam and Arunachal Pradesh states.
Indian media Friday made much of the fact that the bridge has been built to support the weight of a 60-ton tank.
Modi has launched a drive to improve infrastructure in the isolated region, which comprises seven states linked to mainland India by a sliver of land that arches over Bangladesh. "This bridge will not only save time and money, but it will bring about a new economical revolution for the people of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh," Modi said.
The structure in mountainous Arunachal Pradesh, he said, will help farmers transport crops and herbs to markets in Assam. Experts say the $318 million project will consolidate New Delhi's defenses in the region.
"The bridge is going to help our troops get to parts that were earlier difficult to reach in times of crises," Ajit Singh, a defense research fellow at New Delhi's Institute for Conflict Management, told AFP. "It's a step in the right direction, a proactive step by India to counterbalance China."
Earlier governments refused to construct roads near the border, fearing they could be used by Chinese troops in a conflict.
But in 2014, Modi eased rules on building roads and army facilities near the 4,056 kilometer-long (2,520 mile) border in Arunachal Pradesh, signaling a shift in India's strategic policy.