India's longest road-rail bridge bolsters defence on China border

India on Tuesday opened its longest rail-road bridge in a poor northeastern state as part of efforts to boost defences on its sensitive border with China.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi drove an inaugural cavalcade along the 4.9 kilometre (three mile) long Bogibeel bridge over the Brahmaputra river to inaugurate the project in Assam state which has taken nearly two decades and $800 million to complete.

The bridge, near the city of Dibrugarh, will enable the military to speed up the dispatch of forces to neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China.

With the opening of the bridge, the rail journey from Dibrugarh to the Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar has been cut by 750 kilometres.

India lost territory in Arunachal Pradesh in a 1962 war with China.

The bridge has been designed to bear the weight of India's heaviest 60 tonne battle tanks and so that fighter jets can land on it.

India opened its longest bridge, the 9.1km Dhola-Sadiya bridge, in 2017 to connect Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, also to boost tactical defences.

Construction of the Bogibeel bridge was agreed by the government as part of a 1985 agreement to end years of deadly agitation by Assamese nationalist groups.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Canadian ex-diplomat held in China denied access to lawyers: ICG
Montreal (AFP) Dec 21, 2018
The Canadian former diplomat detained in China amid a diplomatic spat with Beijing has not yet been allowed to meet with his lawyers, the think tank that currently employs him said Friday. Michael Kovrig "has not been allowed access to his lawyers. The arrest is unjustified," said Hugh Pope, a spokesman for the International Crisis Group, a think tank that analyzes conflicts and geopolitical flashpoints. "We call for him to be released immediately, and at a minimum for him to be allowed regular ... read more