Landslides hit Arunachal's Tawang; BRO helps stranded tourists, locals

Itanagar, Sep 4 (IANS) The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has provided assistance, including food and drinking water, to around 60 tourists and local people, stranded due to heavy rain-triggered landslides near Jang town in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district, officials said on Thursday.

A defence spokesman said that on Wednesday evening, intense rainfall triggered five landslides in the vicinity of Jang town in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district, obstructing Jang bypass as well as the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang highway.

The slides blocked the traffic and led to the temporary stranding of tourists and local residents, who were travelling in around 25 vehicles.

Despite the adverse weather conditions and heavy rainfall, Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) personnel under 'Project Vartak' swung into action immediately. The spokesman said that working under incessant rainfall and difficult conditions, the teams ensured all locations were cleared and traffic flow restored within a short span of time by midnight on Wednesday.

The BRO personnel also reached out to stranded tourists, providing them with basic assistance, including food and drinking water, until the roads were made safe for movement.

Restoration of these critical routes ensured timely relief to civilians and uninterrupted passage of military convoys and essential supplies, the spokesman added.

He said that the Border Roads Organisation continues to uphold its ethos of “Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam” and remains steadfast in maintaining vital connectivity across the inhospitable terrain of Arunachal Pradesh.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, multiple landslides occurred in seven places in the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of 763 BRTF along the roads of Ledo–Dibrugarh–Yangtse, Dibrugarh–Sadiya–Ledo–Chabua and Bordumsa–Chabua–Tinsukia in Assam’s Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts.

According to the defence spokesman, the landslides triggered by heavy rainfall caused significant blockages and disruption to traffic movement in the high-altitude region (12,000 to 15,000 feet).

Despite the challenging terrain, adverse weather conditions, and high altitude, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel of 763 BRTF with heavy machinery and manpower cleared the debris, removed fallen trees, and ensured the safety of road users.

--IANS

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