Landslides in Arunachal's Tawang, BRO clears roads

Itanagar: Heavy rain-triggered landslides were reported near Jang town in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district, blocking key stretches of the strategic Balipara-Charduar-Tawang (BCT) road, a critical supply line to the frontier areas.

However, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) restored traffic movement by Wednesday midnight, ensuring uninterrupted movement of military convoys and essential supplies, a Defence spokesperson said on Thursday.

The landslides took place on Wednesday evening, blocking key stretches of the strategic road.

"Personnel of the 42 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) launched clearance operations. Working under difficult conditions amid continuous rainfall, the teams cleared the stretches and traffic flow was restored within a short span of time," Guwahati-based Defence spokesperson Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said in a statement.

The BRO personnel also reached out to the stranded tourists, providing them with food and drinking water until the roads were declared safe.

The BCT road is of immense military significance, serving as the lifeline for troops deployed in the strategically sensitive Tawang sector and adjoining border areas. Quick restoration of this axis not only brought relief to civilians but also ensured operational preparedness of security forces guarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC), he said.