Why The Arunachal Frontier Highway Is A Big Deal

NEW DELHI: The Centre has finally green-lighted a 2000-km-long highway that aims at providing all-weather connectivity between the western periphery of Arunachal Pradesh and the eastern parts of the state that borders China. It will run along the McMahon Line and when fully complete, will help speed up access of Indian troops and military equipment to the LAC, should there be any Chinese misadventure. The move, with an estimated cost of ₹40,000 crore, was first conceived in 2008 but has been dogged by delays. The project will be a tough one, given the difficult topography, high altitude and inhospitable weather. In this episode of ‘Ask Nitin’, StratNews Global Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale explains why this highway and other infra projects in Arunachal Pradesh are worth the efforts despite the hardships and the high financial costs involved.