Heavy rain damages portion of major road link in Arunachal

Heavy rainfall over the past few days has damaged a portion of the crucial Balipara- Charduar-Tawang (BCT) road, disrupting surface communication to East Kameng, West Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh, an official said on Thursday. The BCT road is a major thoroughfare for the three districts and it also serves as a link to the Indo-China frontier through Tawang.

Parts of the road between Bhalukpong check gate and West Kameng district headquarters Bomdila have been washed away by torrential rain, and power supply to the district has also been severely affected, the state government official said. "We are screening the returnees at Bhalukpong gate and giving them packed food. They are being re-routed to West Kameng and Tawang via the OKSRT road," Bhalukpong Extra Assistant Commissioner (EAC) Tamo Riba said.

West Kameng SP Raja Banthia said due to the development, there would be only one convoy per day that would move under police escort without stopping anywhere between Bhalukpong and Balemu check gates. Heavy rain has also triggered landslides at several places in the state, officials added.