Border Roads Organization expected to complete repairs of Yarlung-Lamang

India’s Border Roads Organization expects the Yarlung-Lamang road in Arunachal Pradesh to be fully accessible today, following extensive repairs.

The road is of particular strategic importance to the Indian government as it leads to Lamang outpost, India’s most easterly military outpost along the India-China border. Yarlung-Lamang road was completed in 2017 during Phase 1 of the India-China Border Roads project. The project aims to expand access to remote regions in order to boost military infrastructure and soldier presence along the contested border.

Security concerns along the India-China border has garnered fresh attention following a deadly 2020 clash in the Galwan Valley. Both nations are reportedly moving thousands of additional troops to various border regions in response to the latest skirmish. Such events highlight foreign policy shifts where India use border infrastructure to counter an increasingly assertive China. The likelihood of further conflicts in the region is high due to changes in operational guidelines allowing deadly weapons on the border. Expect Beijing and New Delhi to continue bolstering their military capabilities in the short- to medium-term as a hedge against the numerous rounds of diplomatic and military talks have failed to drastically reduce tensions.