The Border Road Organisation (BRO) has completed another strategically significant project - the construction of an all-weather motorable road between Nelong and Sonam in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. This road project will provide a major boost to the efforts to strengthen the forward areas along Indo-China border, The Pioneer reported.

The project comprising of two roads stretches, Nelong-Naga, and Naga-Sonam, would be of vital importance and facilitate speedier induction of Army and Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel to forward areas in time.

BRO’s Lieutenant General Harish Thukral, GOC of Uttar Bharat Area, dedicated a 45-meter long bridge on Jadganga River, the confluence of Nila Pani and Jad Ganga rivers, and 19.3 Km long roads in border area with China from Nelong to Sonam via Naga on Thursday (Jun 6)

The breathtakingly scenic Nelong valley, 45 km ahead of the India-China border, border, falls under the Gangotri National Park in Uttarkashi district. Located at a height of 11,600 feet, the valley is a cold desert and is home to the snow leopard and the Himalayan blue sheep . The valley offers a spectacular view of the Tibetan Plateau. The snow-capped mountains and various trekking routes has continued to attracted many travel enthusiasts.

The valley is around 315 km from Dehradun. Bhaironghati, a place just eight kms ahead of the famous Gangotri shrine, is 23 km away from this valley.

The valley was once a part of a popular trade route between India and China. Few remnants of the trade route - the most prominent one being a narrow wooden bridge along the gorge - still remains intact. The Lal Devta temple, where the Bhotiya people engaged in cross-border trade used to make offering before proceeding for Tibet, also remains. However after the 1962 Indo-China war, villagers were shifted out of the valley and Indo-Tibetan Border Police checkpoints were set up in the villages. Travel to the region was forbidden and subsequently tourist activities valley came to a grinding halt.

The Nelong valley was re-opened to tourists in 2015 after remaining out of bounds for the tourists post the 1962 War.

The opening of the road is also expected to provide a major boost to tourism as the tourists till recently had to undertake a bumpy ride to reach the Nelong valley.

Constructed by Project Shivalik of BRO, the completion of the project will significantly enhance the operational capabilities of troops deployed along the Indo-China border besides defence preparedness.

BRO has constucted these roads, it has made use of innovative and technological skills involving environmental friendly cold mix technology for road construction.

The construction of the bridge and the roads with National Highway Double Lane (NHDL) specifications at an altitudes ranging from 12,000 to 13,000 feet was a challenging task. Located in remote and high altitude area, the project will enhance the operational capability of Armed forces in border area.

Nelong Valley

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