After significantly upgrading the shelling and infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, the Army is on a major drive for capacity and infrastructure development in the rest of Arunachal Pradesh.
This includes upgrading of roads, bridges, tunnels, housing and storage facilities, aviation facilities and communication and surveillance, especially in the upper Dibang Valley region, according to several army officials.
Major General MS Bains, General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 2 Mountain Division, told a group of journalists that a capacity development matrix was being planned and road development, construction of housing and aviation facilities were underway. He said that we are in the process of connecting different valleys.
“We have gone for clear timelines for capacity development based on a very clear perspective plan for the future. Our overall combat preparedness in this area is of a very high order,” Major General Bains said.
five vertical
Another official, who did not wish to be identified, said that capacity and infrastructure development in the region was being done under five verticals – housing, aviation, road infrastructure, operational logistics and security infrastructure.
Of this, strategic roads and border roads were being constructed by central government agencies and the Border Roads Organisation, while the army was building last mile tracks to connect these roads to forward posts on the Line of Actual Control.
A third official said that apart from the construction of roads, aviation facilities are also being built along them, which is also benefiting the civilian population.
India has two road axes in the forested area at Lohit and Siang; Now, efforts were underway to improve the infrastructure across the board. Engineering task forces of various formations of the Army were being employed to expedite the work, the second official cited above said, adding that the main task season was limited to six months.
The area of responsibility of the 2nd Division includes Upper Dibang, Lower Dibang, Namsai, Lohit and Anjaw districts of Arunachal Pradesh. Tawang and Kameng area is under Army’s 4 Corps, headquartered at Tezpur, RALP is under 3 Corps based at Dimapur.
key orientation
Since the May 2020 standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, which is still ongoing, the Army has undergone a major rearmament towards the LAC, under which several formations facing the Western Front were withdrawn along the LAC, That was in the backdrop of increased Chinese activity. LAC. Out of the 3,488 km long LAC, 1,346 km falls in the eastern region.
In addition, several Army units previously tasked with CI duties have been reassigned to the LAC, while the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force administratively under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been given the responsibility of counter insurgency. Broadly speaking, the two division strength of troops has been withdrawn from CI duties to the role of border guard.
The Army’s 73 Brigade, headquartered at Lapuli near Dibrugarh town in Assam, is the only unit with a CI mandate in the eastern sector. Its CI mandate covers four districts of Assam in addition to its traditional role.
Talking about the geography of the RALP, one of the above officials said that patrolling was quite a challenging task. Long distance patrols were carried out once or twice a month and ranged from 14 days to a month.
4G network
Addressing the long pending demand of the local population along the LAC, mobile towers are being set up for 4G communication under the Unified Service Obligation Fund, under Corporate CSR obligations under the Corporate CSR obligations. can provide services.
Under this, mobile towers are being set up in strategically sensitive areas like Kibithu, Walong and Huiliang. Another official giving an overview said
China has long established telecommunication networks very close to the LAC and upgraded them to 5G. It is quite common for mobile phones to take over the Chinese network when Indians travel close to the LAC.
In the Tawang sector, significant thrust has been given to the expansion of infrastructure as well as the deployment of offensive firepower, which enables rapid redeployment of troops which is lacking in the RALP sector, as reported. Hindu Earlier In line with its infra and housing construction along the LAC, China is moving troops closer to the LAC in the RALP apart from roads, building tunnels, housing and related facilities to support the troops.
Commenting on the situation in the RALP’s Asphila area, which sees regular Chinese incursions last October, Army Chief General Manoj Pandey, the then Eastern Army Commander in Tenga, said, “We have essentially stopped construction by China close to the LAC. have seen. The place of residence and because of this the number of soldiers stationed there has become more. ,