NEWS – India has completed the Confluence-Haa all-weather road in Bhutan, enhancing connectivity to the strategic Haa Valley, situated just 21 km from the sensitive Doklam tri-junction, the site of a 2017 standoff involving India, Bhutan, and China.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Project Execution:
  • Constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under Project Dantak at a cost of ₹254 crore.
  • Inauguration scheduled for August 1 by Bhutanese PM Lyonchhen Dasho Tshering Tobgay.
• Strategic Importance:
  • Facilitates better military logistics and strategic troop mobility near a contentious border zone.
  • Supports India’s strategic posture amid rising Chinese assertiveness in the region.
• Technical Upgrades:
  • Road meets primary national highway standards.
  • Features five new bridges, improved road geometry, and enhanced safety for year-round use.
• Diplomatic Engagement:
  • Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi and BRO DG Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan visited Bhutan recently.
  • Meetings held with Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and PM.

BRO’s Wider Role in Bhutan

• Project Dantak, launched in 1961, plays a key role in Bhutan’s infrastructure:
  • Built Paro Airport, Sherubtse College, Dewathang Hospital, and highways.
  • Engaged in roadworks across Bhutan:
    • Kothakpa-Tshobaley, Nganglam-Panbang, Samrang-Jomotsangkha, etc.
• India’s Soft Power and Defence Diplomacy Tool:
  • Enhances India-Bhutan ties.
  • Counters China’s influence in the Himalayas via strategic infrastructure development.