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A view of Mechuka bridge | Photo Credit: Rahul Karmakar
GUWAHATI, May 15, 2018 13:07 IST
Updated: May 15, 2018 13:31 IST
Mechuka, a small town in West Siang district ,with an advance landing ground (ALG) that is closest to the border with China.
Also spelt Menchuka, the Buddhist-dominated Mechuka is perched 6,200 feet above sea level in the Eastern Himalayas and at an aerial distance of 29 km from the nearest point on the India-China border.
The landing strip at Mechuka’s ALG, one of six the Defence Ministry had reconstructed, expanded and made operational by April last year, is 4,200 feet long. The Indian Air Force (IAF) controls this ALG as well as the other five – Tuting, Aalo, Pasighat, Vijaynagar and Ziro.
In November 2016, the IAF successfully landed a C-17 Globemaster, a large military cargo aircraft that normally needs a longer runway at sea level, at Mechuka.
“We want to test the waters with a smaller aircraft initially for a once-a-week flight. The frequency and size of fixed-wing aircraft can be increased depending on the response the service ,” Mr. Sona, who represents the Mechuka Assembly constituency, said.
The nine-seater flight service, to be handled by the State’s Civil Aviation department, is not part of New Delhi’s Udey Desh ka Aam Naagrik or UDAN scheme for regional connectivity.
There is a twice-a-week helicopter service between Mechuka and Naharlagun, a commercial helipad near State capital Itanagar. But this service on Mondays and Saturdays is erratic because of unpredictable weather.
Mechuka is about 190 km north west of West Siang district headquarters Aalo. The road has not been in the best of shape, but the State government claims it will benefit from the 1,559 km Trans-Arunachal Highway (from Tawang in north-west to Kanubari in south-east) and branch projects.
The difficulty in reaching Mechuka terrestrially, however, has been a boon in disguise for mountain terrain biking (MTB), Mr. Sona said.
“MTB enthusiasts from all over have certified a 700 km stretch from Mechuka to Itanagar as the best track for mountain biking. We are focusing on this and other adventure sports such as white- water rafting in a big way,” Mr. Sona said.
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