Project Udayak

Last updated

Udayak
Project Udayak Insignia.gif
Founded1 June 1990;33 years ago (1990-06-01)
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
Type Army, Engineering
RoleConstruction and maintenance of infrastructure in Eastern Arunachal Pradesh, focusing in development of ICBRs and the Bharatmala project.
Headquarters Doomdooma, Assam, India
Motto(s)Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam
AnniversariesBRO Day: 7 May ; Raising Day: 1 June
Website https://bro.gov.in
Commanders
Director General Lieutenant general Raghu Srinivasan [1]
Chief EngineerRajiv Sharma [2]

Udayak, also known as Project UDAYAK is a project of the Border Roads Organisation under the Ministry of Defence of India. It was established on 1 June 1990 by separating two task forces from Project Vartak and Project Sewak. The project was tasked to take on road and other construction works in the eastern districts of Arunachal Pradesh. The project mainly focuses on the construction and development of India–China Border Roads and inter-valley connectivity in eastern Aruanchal Pradesh. The project plays a vital role in the Arunachal Pradesh package of the SARDP-NE project and the Bharatmala project. Apart from these the project also contributes in the social development of the people in the region. [3] [4]

Contents

History

In the 1980s, Project Vartak consisted of five Border Roads Task forces (BRTF) while Project Sewak had 4 BRTFs. To improve command and control on the units, a new project was sanctioned by the government on 23 May 1989 after which Udayak was established on 1 June 1990. The headquarter was chosen to be Doomdooma in the Tinsukia district of Assam. The project was established in the period of heightened civil unrest and insurgency in North east India. The 48 BRTF was stationed in Kimin while 752 BRTF was stationed in Kohima before their induction in Project Udayak. Colonel P.K. Chowdhury was appointed as the first chief engineer of the project. [3]

Command Structure

A road sign in the city centre of Tezu by Udayak The city centre of Tezu.jpg
A road sign in the city centre of Tezu by Udayak

The project is mainly divided into 48th task force currently stationed near Tezu in Lohit district and the 752nd task force in Roing, Lower Dibang Valley district. Both of these task forces include numerous companies which in turn include platoons and detachments. The task forces are headed by a commander while the companies are headed by an officer commanding. [5] [3] [6]

Works and involvements

Udayak maintains more than 2,100 kilometres (1,300 mi) of roads and numerous bridge infrastructure across the tough terrain of Eastern Arunachal Pradesh and some parts of Assam and Nagaland which include national highways, general staff roads which are in line with defence requirements and India-China border roads. The 48 BRTF undertakes road and bridge infrastructure works in the Lohit, Namsai, Anjaw and part of Lower Dibang districts of Arunachal Pradesh while the 752 BRTF undertakes works in Lower Dibang Valley, Dibang Valley district, Tirap and Changlang. Many of its units are air maintained by the Army Aviation Corps and Indian Air Force due to difficult terrain. [7] [3]

The project has played a major role in the development of the National Highway 15 and Dibrugarh Airport. It has also constructed buildings for Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Tissa of Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh and Chare of Tuensang district of Nagaland. [7]

In 2010, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India found financial misappropriations and wasteful expenses in the proceedings of the project which was later notified to the Ministry of Defence. [8]

The project also inaugurated the 720 metres (0.45 mi) Digaru bridge in the year 2012 connecting the Lohit district to the Lower Dibang valley district of Arunachal Pradesh which facilitates easy movement of locals as well as troops in the region. [9]

In April 2018, a bridge collapsed in the Hayuliang-Changwanti road due to heavy rainfall cutting off numerous villages including the border town of Kibithu. Restoration work was initiated in collaboration with the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited. Later in September the same year, a new steel bridge was constructed in the route by the project. [10] [11]

In 2019, former defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the Diffo bridge over the Diffo river on the Roing – Koronu- Paya road improving connectivity between the Dibang valley and Lohit valley region of Eastern Arunachal Pradesh. Former Director general of Border Roads Organisation Lieutenant Harpal Singh said that the bridge was built under tough conditions like flash floods where numerous workers lost their lives. [12]

In 2020, the project completed the 65 metres (0.040 mi) long bridge over the Kramti river on the Changwanti-Walong-Namti route located 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Hawai. [13]

In 2021, Udayak conducted a free health camp in the Choephelling Tibetan Settlement located in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, which is administered by the Central Tibetan Administration. The former Chief Engineer of Udayak, Vimal Goswami, promised the settlement office that the health camp would continue every week until a new medical facility is established. [14] [15] [16]

Under an 'exhibition of best practices' organised by the Ministry of Defence, the project in 2022 resurfaced 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) of the Roing-Koronu-Paya road with shredded plastic in the asphalt concrete road construction process. [17] [18]

In May 2023, the project established connectivity to the village of Tapatuwi on the Chaglohagam-Rocham Road. The project already had an air-maintained unit in the village since 2019. The hard rocky strata prevented from establishing road connectivity. The task encountered resistance from the locals and the Arunachal Pradesh Youth Congress (APYC) in 2020 due to non-receipt of land compensation payments and alleged errors in land acquisition. It was later found that the project had sanctioned a payment of INR 24 crores but corruption was seen in the compensation disbursement process by local officials of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh. [19] [20] [21]

In August 2023, the project inaugurated a bailey bridge over the 'Tha Nala' located 24 kilometres (15 mi) from Chaglohagam. The 'Tha Nala' was regularly affected by floods after rain which caused issues in the smooth movement of locals and troops through the area. The local mishmi population appreciated the efforts by the project. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dibang Valley district</span> District of Arunachal Pradesh in India

Dibang Valley (Pron:/dɪˈbæŋ/) is a district of Arunachal Pradesh named after the Dibang River or the Talon as the Mishmis call it. It is the least populated district in India and has an area of 9,129 square kilometres (3,525 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border Roads Organisation</span> Statutory Body

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lohit district</span> District of Arunachal Pradesh in India

Lohit is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India. The district headquarters is located at Tezu. As of 2011 it is the third most populous district of Arunachal Pradesh, after Papum Pare and Changlang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anini</span> District Headquarters in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Anini is the headquarters of the Dibang Valley district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India. Anini was also the district headquarters of the undivided Dibang Valley district. Most of this location's population consists of the Idu Mishmi tribal people. Due to its remote location, Anini remains a small and underdeveloped town. However, it still has basic road and air links to the rest of India. The town is fully dependent on the nearest major settlement, Roing, which is in the Lower Dibang Valley District, for most commercial needs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walong</span> Town in Arunachal Pradesh, India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roing</span> Town in Arunachal Pradesh, India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anjaw district</span> District of Arunachal Pradesh in India

Anjaw District (Pron:/ˈændʒɔ:/) is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in north-east India. It was created district in 2004, by splitting off from the Lohit district under the Arunachal Pradesh Re-organization of Districts Amendment Act. The district borders China on the north. Hawai, at an altitude of 1296 m above sea level, is the district headquarters, located on the banks of the Lohit River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River. It is the easternmost district in India. The furthest villages towards the border with China are Dong, Walong, Kibithu and Kaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Dibang Valley district</span> District of Arunachal Pradesh in India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idu Mishmi language</span> Language spoken in India and Tibet

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dibang River</span> River in Arunachal Pradesh, India

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Arunachal Frontier Highway (AFH), officially notified as the National Highway NH-913 and also called Bomdila-Vijaynagar Highway (BVH), connecting Bomdila Airstrip ALG & HQ in northwest to Vijaynagar Airstrip ALG & HQ in southeast via Nafra HQ-Sarli HQ-Huri Helipad ALG & HQ-Nacho HQ-Mechuka Airstrip ALG & HQ-Monigong HQ-Jido -Hunli HQ-Hayuliang Airstrip ALG HQ-Chenquenty-Hawai HQ-Miao HQ including 800 km greenfield section and network of new tunnels & bridges, is a 2-lane paved-shoulder under-construction national highway along the India-China LAC-McMahon Line border in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The 1,748 km-long (1,086 mi) highway itself will cost ₹27,000 crore and total cost including 6 additional inter-corridors is ₹40,000 crore. In some places, this highway will run as close as 20 km from the LAC. To be constructed by MoRTH in 9 packages, all packages will be approved by the end of fy 2024-25 and construction will be completed in 2 years by 31 March 2027. Of the total route, 800km is greenfield, rest brownfield will be upgraded and tunnels will be built. This highway in the north & east Arunachal along the China border, would complement the Trans-Arunachal Highway and the Arunachal East-West Corridor as major highways spanning the whole state, pursuing the Look East connectivity policy.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Arunachal Pradesh</span>

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Kaho is a small village on the banks of the Lohit River on the India-China Line of Actual Control in the Anjaw district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dibang River Bridge</span> Bridge in Arunachal Pradesh, India

The Dibang River Bridge is a beam bridge across Dibang River which connects Bomjir and Malek villages and provides all-weather connectivity between Dambuk and Roing in eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh, India. At 6.2 km long, it is the second-longest bridge above water in India and was completed in 2018 as part of NH13 Trans-Arunachal Highway. This strategically important bridge helps Indian military combat anti-national activities and Chinese military threat in the easter sector of Line of Actual Control border areas. It is known as "Sikang" in Adi Language and "Talon" in Idu Mishmi language.

Diffo Bridge is a pre-stressed concrete box girder bridge over the Diffo river in Arunachal Pradesh, India. This 426.60 metres (1,399.6 ft) long bridge was inaugurated in 2019 by the Union Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Project Vartak</span> Indian army road engineering project

Vartak, also known as Project VARTAK is a project of the Border Roads Organisation under the Ministry of Defence of India. It was formed on 7 May 1960 as a provision of the 2nd Border Roads Development Board Meeting with the then Prime Minister of India Jawahar Lal Nehru as Project Tusker, which was later renamed to Project Vartak in 1963. The initial task of this project was to construct and maintain roads between Bhalukpong and Tenga. It is the first established project of Border Roads Organisation. Its task was later expanded to construct and maintain roads in Arunachal Pradesh and adjoining districts of Assam. Major General O.M Mani was the first Chief Engineer of the project.

References

  1. ↑ "Lt General Raghu Srinivasan assumes charge as Border Roads Organisation chief" (PDF). India Today. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "BRO DG inspects works in Walong border post". Arunachal Observer. 27 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "The Udayak Saga" (PDF). Border Roads Organisation. 22 March 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  4. ↑ "Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for Development of Road Network in the North Eastern States". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  5. ↑ "Border Roads Task Force | District Lohit, Government of Arunachal Pradesh | India". Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "eProcurement System Government of India". eprocure.gov.in. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Udayak". Border Roads Organisation. 22 March 2024. Archived from the original on 24 July 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  8. ↑ "CHAPTER V : BORDER ROADS ORGANISATION" (PDF). Comptroller and Auditor General of India. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  9. ↑ "Arunachal bridge linking two districts inaugurated". The Times of India. 12 April 2012. ISSN   0971-8257. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  10. ↑ "Bridge on strategic road inaugurated | The Arunachal Times". 30 September 2018. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  11. ↑ Kalantri, Rishu (25 April 2018). "Bridge collapse hits troops". Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "Arunachal: Nirmala Sitaraman dedicates Diffo bridge to nation | Arunachal24". 18 January 2019. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  13. ↑ "Steel Bridge along Indo-China border opens". Arunachal Observer. 9 March 2020. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  14. ↑ "Choephelling, Miao". Central Tibetan Relief Committee. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  15. ↑ "GREF to conduct weekly free health camps | The Arunachal Times". 30 April 2021. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  16. ↑ yangchen (26 April 2021). "Sunday Free Medical Camp in Choephelling Miao". Central Tibetan Administration. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  17. ↑ "Department of Defence (DoD) holds Exhibition of Best Practices on Special Campaign 2.0 at Vigyan Bhawan". pib.gov.in. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  18. ↑ "Shredded plastic paves the way on India's borders, BRO carries out trials on roads". Moneycontrol. 27 October 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  19. ↑ "APCS officer, another arrested in Anjaw land compensation scam | The Arunachal Times". 1 June 2020. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  20. ↑ "APYC alleges irregularities in land acquisition | The Arunachal Times". 15 August 2020. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  21. ↑ "Tweet by 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧". Twitter . 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  22. ↑ "Bailey bridge inaugurated in Anjaw district". Arunachal Observer. 24 August 2023. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
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