[ Bengia Ajum ]

CHANGLANG, Jun 4: Work on fencing the Indo-Myanmar border has begun in Changlang and Longding districts of Arunachal Pradesh.

In 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced an ambitious plan to fence the entire 1,643-km India-Myanmar border across the Northeastern region. While the move has faced strong opposition from local communities in states such as Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram, work in Arunachal Pradesh has been progressing steadily since it commenced last year.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is executing the border fencing project.

In Changlang district, 4.14 km of fencing has been completed out of the 7.3 km planned under the first phase of the project.

“The pilot project around the Pangsau Pass area is progressing smoothly. Our district shares the longest international boundary with Myanmar,” said Changlang Deputy Commissioner Vishal Sah.

The project, however, has not been without challenges. In March this year, an Assam Rifles jawan was injured after suspected militants opened fire on a team engaged in border fencing work along the India-Myanmar frontier in Changlang district. Members of the NSCN (K-YA)  reportedly attacked the team working on the fencing project.

The Assam Rifles, which guards the Indo-Myanmar border, is providing security cover to the workers involved in the project.

In Longding district, a total of 20.5 km of border fencing has been proposed in the first phase. So far, only the construction of approach roads has commenced.

“There is a proposal to fence the stretch from Border Post (BP) 156 to BP 160. In many areas, the terrain is extremely challenging, and therefore fencing work has not been planned there for now,” said Longding Superintendent of Police Dekio Gumja.

In Tirap district, the project is yet to begin. The district administration has handed over land from BP 160 to BP 162 to the BRO.

“In Tirap, border fencing is planned from BP 160 to BP 164. We share a portion of BP 160 with Longding district. We have handed over land to the BRO from BP 160 to BP 162,” said Tirap Deputy Commissioner Techu Aran.

He added that the land between BP 163 and BP 164 is yet to be handed over to the BRO.