While China remains engaged in strengthening its mobility on the strategically important Himalayan front, the sole double- lane road project — Tanakpur-Jauljibi national highway — along the long and porous India-Nepal border that India proposed in Uttarakhand to counter the growing external challenges, has failed to inch forward over the past nearly four years.
What is worrisome is that despite submission of the detailed project report involving Rs 831 crore sent by the PWD through the State Government to the Centre about a year ago, nothing has moved forward in regard to the proposed national highway.
Given the Maoist movements and increasing anti-national activities in recent years on the India-Nepal border front and also to improve road connectivity on this extremely fragile Himalayan sector, the Government of India, particularly the Ministry of Home Affairs, was keen on strengthening its mobility along this international border between India and Nepal in Uttarakhand and decided to construct a double-lane road in the form of a national highway along the Nepal border from Tanakpur to Jauljibi in 2010.
More so, it was thought that the proposed national highway would be extended further up to Tibetan border from Pithoragarh's Jauljibi in the long run in view of the mounting strategic importance of the area.
However, this has faced the same fate that befalls all such plans conceived, keeping in view the larger security dimensions. “A detailed project report (DPR) has already been submitted to the Government,” said BC Pant, Executive Engineer, PWD, Champawat, while talking to The Pioneer in an exclusive interview.
“The Tanakpuar Jauljibi Road has to be constructed along Mahakali river that marks the international border between the two countries i.e India and Nepal,” added Pant. Since the DPR has not yet been approved by the Government, so work has not yet been started on the said road, added the officials concerned. The length of this aforesaid road is estimated about 135.47 km. It will be a double- lane road. Once constructed, it would reduce the distance between two hilly and border districts of Uttarakhand i.e. Champawat and Pithoragarh significantly.
It is believed that if the aforesaid road project between Tanakpur and Jauljibi comes up it would not just strengthen India's strategic interests on this Himalayan front but would improve surface transport networks and trade activities in the hill state in a big way.