The road is significant not simply because it will connect two remote parts of Arunachal. For the Army, it could mean greater flexibility in moving vehicles, engineering equipment
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has moved towards preparing a detailed plan for a new 95.348-km road between Huri in Kurung Kumey district and Taksing in Upper Subansiri, a project that could significantly change the way India approaches one of its most sensitive frontier sectors in Arunachal Pradesh.
The BRO wants a feasibility study and detailed project report for the Huri-Taksing road, described as a new greenfield alignment to be built to NHDL specifications. A BRO document dated August 29, accessed exclusively by CNN-News18, details the 95.348-km proposed road under ‘Project Arunank’.
The road is significant not simply because it will connect two remote parts of Arunachal Pradesh. Its importance comes from where Taksing is located and from the wider network of roads that India is trying to build towards the frontier.
Taksing lies in Upper Subansiri, more than 200 km from district headquarters Daporijo and close to the India-China border. The area has long been among the most difficult parts of Arunachal Pradesh to access. Road connectivity reached Taksing only in recent years, and even today, the existing approach remains difficult.
The existing road between Nacho and Taksing is narrow and in poor condition, with locals saying that in some stretches, even two vehicles cannot pass each other. That also creates difficulties for Army movement. This makes the proposed Huri-Taksing alignment particularly important.
As a “new alignment” and a Greenfield road, it would provide another approach to Taksing from the Huri side, creating an additional road axis into the frontier area.
Taksing is a forward settlement in Upper Subansiri, in an area abutting the Tibet region of China. The settlement and surrounding areas are close to the Line of Actual Control.
A dependable road determines how quickly troops can move, how much equipment can be transported, how frequently supplies can be replenished and how quickly engineering and medical support can reach forward locations.