Bogibeel Bridge: India’s national security in Arunachal Pradesh gets a boost

The bridge will not only enhance India’s national security, but it will also improve Upper Assam’s connectivity with Northern Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. 
PM Modi dedicated the Bogibeel Bridge in Assam to the nation on 25 December 2018. (Photo | PIB India)
PM Modi dedicated the Bogibeel Bridge in Assam to the nation on 25 December 2018. (Photo | PIB India)

GUWAHATI: India’s national security in the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh got a boost with the inauguration of Bogibeel Bridge in Assam by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

The 4.94 km long rail-cum-road bridge in Upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district will not only enhance India’s national security, but it will also improve Upper Assam’s connectivity with Northern Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. 

The bridge, fourth over the Brahmaputra, will be of strategic importance, for it will boost India’s ability to transport troops and supplies to its border with China in Arunachal. Nearly 75 per cent of the 4000-km long border which India shares with China is in Arunachal and the bridge will help in logistical support for the Indian Army deployed to guard the border.

The bridge will also go a long way as far as connectivity is concerned. It will benefit people in several districts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Previously, ferries were the only mode of transport for people travelling from Upper Assam to northern Assam or Central Arunachal and it used to take several hours. The road route was a far longer one. One required at least 10-12 hours to go to some northern Assam districts and Arunachal capital Itanagar from Upper Assam. Now, they can cover the distance in three-four hours, both by rail and road. The rail distance between Dibrugarh and Itanagar has got reduced by over 700 km. 

After inaugurating the bridge, Modi said the facility was a marvel of engineering and technology, and would be of immense strategic significance. 

“The bridge will greatly enhance the ease of living in this region. This bridge had been a dream of the people for generations and it is now a reality,” Modi said.

His NDA government had expedited the work of the bridge which had missed several deadlines.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said it was a “historic day” for Assam and Arunachal.

“The bridge will immensely benefit 15 districts of Arunachal besides Upper Assam. I thank Modiji for all his attention to the Northeast in the past four and half years,” Khandu said.

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal recalled the time when the work had started under the then PM Atal Behari Vajpayee. 

“The project missed several deadlines and eventually it got completed due to Modiji’s initiatives. I believe this bridge will help in strengthening ties among communities in Assam and Arunachal,” he said.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com