HT Correspondent
ITANAGAR, June 22: Arunachal Pradesh Women and Child Development Minister Dasanglu Pul on Saturday undertook a challenging trek through treacherous terrain to reach Monpani (KM 78+000) along the Tidding–Arrowa section of National Highway-113, where massive landslides triggered by incessant rainfall have left the strategic route blocked for over a week.
According to an official statement, the landslide has cut off this vital highway—crucial for access to sensitive border regions adjoining the Indo-China and Indo-Myanmar frontiers—for more than eight consecutive days.
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The disruption has severely impacted the movement of essential supplies to remote forward posts such as Kibithoo and Chaglagam in Anjaw district.
At the affected site, Minister Pul addressed the residents and assured them that temporary connectivity would be restored by 4 PM on Sunday.
She added that short-term repair work would begin immediately thereafter.
To provide a long-term solution, she also announced the construction of a permanent bypass road, with an estimated completion timeline of two years.
“Our government is committed to ensuring uninterrupted connectivity to all corners of Arunachal Pradesh, especially in border districts like Anjaw,” Pul stated.
She also expressed gratitude to the local population for their patience, resilience, and cooperation during the difficult period of isolation.
The landslide-stricken stretch lies within the critical Arrowa–Khupa–Hayuliang corridor and has suffered extensive damage, including major slope failures and deep surface cracks, owing to continuous monsoon-induced soil erosion and flooding.
The area’s vulnerability has further heightened the urgency for swift and sustained restoration efforts.
Given the region’s strategic location, both the state and central governments have prioritised the restoration of connectivity.
The National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL), responsible for maintaining and upgrading the stretch, has been instructed to expedite temporary relief operations while simultaneously initiating long-term mitigation and road-strengthening works.
Pul was accompanied during the inspection by Namsai MLA Zingnu Namchoom, Anjaw Zilla Parishad Chairperson Soblem Pul, Deputy Commissioner Millo Kojin, Superintendent of Police Rike Kamsi, NHIDCL General Manager Arindam Handique, and officials from Bhartia Infra Projects Ltd.
The team collectively reviewed the extent of the damage and discussed coordinated efforts for rapid mobilisation of resources to resume transportation and logistics to the cut-off border zones.
Saturday’s inspection and interaction with the local community underscored the government’s proactive approach to disaster response and its commitment to improving infrastructure resilience in Arunachal’s remote and strategically vital districts.
