A Massive Infra Push Amid India-China Tensions: The Significance of Siyom Bridge EXPLAINED

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday will launch the Siyom bridge in Arunachal Pradesh. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) built the steel arch bridge on the Along-Yingkiong Road in the northeastern state as part of the Brahmank project.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the BRO has four projects: Arunank, Vartak, Brahmank, and Udayak, which aim to maintain and develop infrastructure in the state’s difficult geographical terrain and strategically important areas.

The launch comes amid clashes in the Tawang sector last month which raised tensions between India and China.

The Siyom Bridge

The 100-metre-long steel arch bridge over the Siyom River gives the Indian military a strategic advantage in deploying troops to far-flung areas of the Line of Actual Control faster, as well as connecting nearby villages and improving their access to markets and amenities.

The Siyom River is a Brahmaputra tributary. It runs through Arunachal Pradesh’s west Siang district. According to reports, the new river bridge will improve connectivity to the upper Siang district and beyond via Along (Aalo).

Infrastructure Push

The infrastructure investment in the region comes as the border dispute between India and China has deteriorated in recent years, with the most recent clashes in Tawang injuring multiple soldiers.

In 2022, the state saw massive infrastructure development, ranging from road construction to the construction of a greenfield airport. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has also begun work on the Arunachal Frontier Highway, which is one of the country’s “biggest and most difficult” projects.

The border highway is described as a “strategic project” and has previously been opposed by China. The 2,000-kilometer road will start in Mago, near Bhutan, and will continue through Tawang, Upper Subansiri, Tuting, Mechuka, Upper Siang, Debang Valley, Desali, Chaglagam, Kibithu, and Dong before ending in Vijayanagar, near the Myanmar border. The project is expected to cost at least Rs 40,000 crore.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) expects to finish construction on the Sela tunnel, which is located at a height of 13,700 feet, by July 2023. Due to heavy snowfalls during the winter, traffic on the current Sela Pass road is severely hampered.

Once completed, the Sela tunnel will be the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel.

Massive Push Since 5 Years

According to a PTI report, the BRO has built 3,097 kilometres of roads in Arunachal Pradesh over the last five years, the Parliament was informed last month. The BRO reports to the Ministry of Defence.

Rajnath Singh’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh is significant because it comes on the heels of border clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in December. The attempted Chinese incursion was successfully thwarted by Indian soldiers, according to a statement issued by the Army on December 12, 2022. Minor injuries were sustained by soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

This was the second escalation on the Indo-China border since the clashes in Galwan in 2020, which claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers. Following the Tawang clashes, both sides’ troops are on high alert.

The incidents in Galwan and Tawang have focused attention on border infrastructure construction, with India moving on a war footing to close the gap with China, which has accelerated the construction of assets on its side of the LAC, including roads, bridges, airstrips, and villages.

On January 3rd, Singh will dedicate 22 bridges, including 5 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, 8 in the UT of Ladakh, 2 in Uttarakhand, 3 in Sikkim, and 4 in Arunachal Pradesh. He will also inaugurate three BRO-built roads, one each in J&K, Uttarakhand, and Arunachal Pradesh.

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