Border Roads Organisation: 696 kilometers of roads built under Project Arunank

New Delhi, October 24 (IANS). The Border Roads Organization (BRO) has constructed and maintained 696 km of roads and 1.18 km long major bridges in the last 17 years under Project Arunanka. The special thing is that these roads and bridges are located in one of the most difficult terrains in the country. On Friday, BRO celebrated the 18th foundation day of Project Arunank at Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh. According to Border Roads Organisation, Project Arunanka has been a glorious journey of 17 years of dedication, perseverance and engineering excellence. Established in 2008, Project Arunak has been entrusted with the responsibility of connecting the inaccessible valleys and forward border areas of Arunachal Pradesh with the mainstream of the country to meet the operational requirements of the armed forces. After years of tireless work, the project has built 696.21 km of roads and 1,181 km of bridges. With these constructions, movement in all weather conditions has now become possible in these inaccessible areas. One of the major achievements of the project was the construction of the Li–Huri road, which connected the most remote areas of the Kurung Kumeya district. This is the same route whose Hapoli–Sarli–Huri (278 km) stretches were covered with a black mark for the first time after independence. This was a historic achievement for BRO. Project Arunanka has also achieved several strategic achievements in recent years. At the same time, Project Arunank has also successfully made use of environmentally friendly and modern technology. The strength and long-term sustainability of roads has been significantly improved through eco-friendly methods. These include technologies such as steel slag, geo-cells, GGBFS concrete, gabion and steel wire walls, plastic sheeting and cut-and-cover tunnels. A car campaign was conducted on the Naharlagun–Zoram Top–Sangram–Zero–Naharlagun route to increase road safety and connectivity awareness. The campaign showcased the high quality roads built by BRO and emphasized the importance of safe driving and disciplined traffic on hill roads. BRO also gives top priority to the welfare of its casual paid labourers. Better living facilities, clean water, sanitation, heat resistant clothes for winter and regular health camps were arranged for these labourers. According to BRO, as Project Arunanka enters its 18th year, it has become a symbol of national pride, operational readiness and development commitment. From dense forests to deep valleys, Project Arunanka is a living example of engineering prowess, national defense and regional development. Let us inform that on March 22, 2023, as a historic achievement of Project Arunank, the 278 km long Hapoli-Sarli-Huri road was specially appreciated for the first time after independence because it was a black road (paved road). The project has adopted modern and eco-friendly technologies such as steel slag, cut-and-cover tunnel, geo-cells, plastic sheets, GGBFS concrete and berm walls. Motor expedition was organized on Naharlagun – Zoram Top – Sangram – Zero – Naharlagun route to raise public awareness about road connectivity and road safety. According to BRO, 23,850 saplings have been planted across Arunachal Pradesh under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ greening campaign. New initiatives for the welfare of casual wage laborers have been started here. These include better housing, protective clothing and health camps. –IANS gcb/dkp