River Rafting, Yoga And A War Memorial: How The Indian Army Is Piecing Together A Plan To Boost Arunachal Tourism

The Indian Army is working on a plan to massively improve the state of the tourism sector in Arunachal Pradesh and thus help integrate this remote corner of India with the rest of the country, reports Hindustan Times.

A critical piece of the puzzle of attracting more domestic tourists to Arunachal Pradesh is the Dong village, where the sun’s rays first hit Indian territory. The Army wants to also introduce rafting facilities at the Lohit River, located north of Dong, in a bid to create infrastructure for adventure sports.

Yoga and Meditation centres can also be set up in Arunchal’s villages, considering the idyllic and picturesque natural landscape of the state. Apart from this, Arunchal Pradesh also has a lot to offer for military history buffs: a war memorial commemorating the sacrifice of 400-odd Indian soldiers who were martyred fighting the Chinese in 1962 is situated in Walong, site of the famous Battle of Walong.

But developing and popularising tourist sites in the state is just one part of the plan to attract tourists. Visitors will also need a comfortable and accessible transportation system which will allow them to travel to these destinations comfortably.

Keeping that in mind, the plan envisions helicopter services by Pawan Hans being launched from Tezu to Walong. North of Walong, e-rickshaws can be useful in plugging the gap left by traditional transport services.

If this plan is successful, Arunachal Pradesh may soon transform from a far-off inaccessible state to a must-see destination for Indian tourists.