Eight-year delay in strategic NH-313 road sparks protest threat in Arunachal’s Anini near Indo-China border

Residents of Anini, the picturesque headquarters of Dibang Valley district near the Indo-China border, have threatened to launch a democratic protest over the prolonged delay in the construction of the Greenfield National Highway-313 road project linking Roing to Anini via Hunli. 

The 74-km stretch, being executed by PH Construction, has remained incomplete for nearly eight years, triggering growing public resentment.

Anini, widely regarded as a high-potential global tourism destination, continues to suffer due to poor road connectivity. At present, commuters are forced to travel via the treacherous Mayudia Pass, covering a distance of about 228 km from Roing to Anini and taking nearly six to seven hours due to bad road conditions, unscheduled closures and ongoing construction work. 

The route, which frequently receives snowfall, poses serious challenges not only for locals and tourists but also for the Indian Army, as the corridor serves strategic movements close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The demand for immediate completion of the NH-313 Greenfield corridor has gained urgency as Anini prepares to host the traditional Reh Festival of the Idu Mishmi community from February 1. A cabinet meeting is also scheduled to take place in the district ahead of the festival, adding to public expectations of improved connectivity.

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Speaking to India Today, BJP Dibang Valley district president Dipen Molo described road communication as the “mother of all development” and alleged serious lapses by construction agencies GR Infra and Puna Hinda Construction. He said the project, initiated in 2018, has failed to meet deadlines even by 2026, severely hampering development and tourism in the border district. Molo pointed out that the Greenfield stretch was designed to bypass the long and risky Mayudia route, yet key segments remain incomplete.

He highlighted that the delay is particularly acute between the 16-km point from Roing to the 17-km mark from Hunli, where the construction of a new bridge over the Ithun River remains partial. The incomplete bridge has become a major bottleneck, preventing the operationalisation of the alternate route to Anini.

Local residents and tourism stakeholders have accused the government of remaining silent and failing to take strict action against the defaulting construction agencies, despite the strategic and economic importance of the highway.

Deputy Commissioner of Dibang Valley Bekir Nyorak, while declining to speak on camera, stated that around 70 per cent of the Greenfield NH-313 project has been completed. He said the project timeline was affected by natural calamities, as cited by the contractors, but assured that proper inspections would be conducted and necessary directions issued to ensure early completion of the delayed work.

With public patience wearing thin, residents of Anini have warned that they will resort to democratic protests if concrete steps are not taken immediately to expedite the completion of the long-delayed highway, seen as lifeline for development, tourism and national security in Arunachal Pradesh’s easternmost frontier.