Fong Fong Ma Falls: Engineering Adventure Infrastructure in the Eastern Himalayas

Located at around 2,900 metres above sea level, Fong Fong Ma Falls is nestled within the dramatic landscape of Jang in Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh. Also known as Nura Nang Falls, Jang Falls, and Bong Bong Falls, the waterfall drops approximately 100 metres at two places, two kilometres from Jang town and forty kilometres from Tawang, on the road north of the Sela Tunnel through a Himalayan gorge before joining the Nuranang Chu.

The pristine waterfall is amongst the most photographed places in Arunachal Pradesh, owing its popularity to a song sequence from the film ‘Koyla’ starring Madhuri Dixit Nene and Shah Rukh Khan, which was filmed here in 1997. Over the years, visitors ensured a pit stop of about 20 minutes to capture the cascading waterfall before moving on to their destination. Adding another layer of singularity to this site is the active hydel facility located at the foot of the waterfalls. In 2022, the Public Works Department, Jang Division, set out to transform this sightseeing stop into an immersive experience that would give the tourists a reason to stay longer. With this vision, the journey to build an adventure setup in an unconventional terrain began.

The Fong Fong Ma Adventure Zone project was conceived as a turnkey adventure infrastructure development for the Public Works Department, Jang Division, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.

The adventure zone includes three zip lines with plan spans of 410 metres, 390 metres and 320 metres, along with a giant swing with 60-foot (18.3-metre) support poles and a swing arc of approximately 30 metres. The stated zipline spans refer to the straight-line distance between the towers; the actual cable length is greater because of catenary sag and gradient. On paper, these are measurable components. On site, however, every component had to respond to the landscape in which it would be built. The challenge was to develop an adventure zone that responded to the terrain, met the PWD’s vision and maintained safety throughout design and execution. Fong Fong Ma’s elevation, terrain and limited access introduced constraints that had to be addressed from the earliest planning stage.

OXO Planet, an adventure infrastructure design-and-build specialist, undertook the design, engineering, fabrication and installation of the adventure infrastructure.

The primary challenge at Fong Fong Ma was not simply installing adventure equipment. It was creating infrastructure that could be engineered, fabricated, and installed suited to the site’s terrain, climate and access constraints. At approximately 2,900 metres, the project was being executed in the Eastern Himalayas, where topography, weather and access became part of the engineering problem. The available construction window had to be considered alongside the site conditions, while working within a steep gorge required careful planning of access, work areas and sequencing. The site’s proximity to an operating hydel facility introduced additional safety, accessibility and coordination requirements. Logistics added another layer.

The project site is reached through the mountain road network leading towards Tawang. Materials and fabricated components therefore had to be planned around what could practically be transported to the site and subsequently assembled there. This meant that engineering and fabrication could not be treated as separate activities from logistics. The design had to account for the realities of getting the infrastructure to the location and building it within the available site conditions.

Working in a gorge also meant that the infrastructure could not be positioned wherever it was easiest to construct. The alignments, support structures and foundations had to work with the landscape while remaining compatible with the existing infrastructure around the falls.

This is where a project such as Fong Fong Ma moves beyond an installation of individual attractions. The site itself becomes part of the engineering brief.

The presence of an operating hydel facility meant added complexities in the project. The adventure zone was being developed above an existing working utility environment. The power station and its associated infrastructure had to continue functioning, while construction activities had to be planned so that they did not interfere with its operation or access.

This required coordination between the adventure infrastructure and the existing facility from the planning stage onwards. Work zones had to be defined. Construction activities had to be sequenced. Foundation locations, access routes and installation operations had to be considered in relation to the existing hydel infrastructure. The adventure infrastructure occupied its space within an already functioning environment.

That interface between new construction and existing infrastructure is one of the defining aspects of the Fong Fong Ma project.

The project followed a process that began with understanding the site and progressed through engineering, fabrication and installation before handing it over. The overall project duration was approximately 18 months. OXO Planet was responsible for the design, engineering, fabrication and installation of the adventure infrastructure.

Structural steel was designed in accordance with the applicable provisions of IS 800, while RCC foundations followed IS 456. The structural design was independently reviewed and certified by Inimitable Consultants Pvt. Ltd., an external structural consultancy. Technical equipment was supplied with the original manufacturer’s test certificates, and the installation was commissioned through a project-specific load-test and handover process.

The project was formally inaugurated on 22 June 2025 by the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, as reported by the Arunachal Observer. For OXO Planet, the project therefore represents a complete infrastructure cycle — from site assessment and engineering through fabrication, installation, certification and commissioning.

The Fong Fong Ma Adventure Zone has been developed with the intention of enhancing the visitor experience beyond a brief sightseeing stop. Once operational, the infrastructure has the potential to introduce a new way of experiencing the gorge and waterfall while supporting the site’s development as an adventure-tourism destination.

At this stage, however, the project is best understood as an example of how adventure infrastructure can be designed around a sensitive and technically demanding mountain location. Its tourism impact will depend on operational readiness, visitor management, trained personnel, maintenance and the wider destination experience.

In Arunachal Pradesh, where the striking landform is one of the state’s greatest tourism assets, adventure infrastructure has to coexist with steep landscapes, routes with limited accessibility and existing infrastructure. Engineering, logistics, construction planning and safety therefore become central to how a destination can be developed. Fong Fong Ma is an example of that approach. As Arunachal Pradesh continues to explore its potential as an adventure tourism destination, projects like this point to a model in which engineering and destination development work hand in hand.

Fong Fong Ma began with a challenging brief: develop an adventure zone at a high-altitude Himalayan site, within a gorge and above an operational hydel facility, while working with the realities of mountain access and construction.

The project illustrates how adventure attractions must be approached as integrated engineering systems rather than standalone equipment installation. Factors such as terrain, structural design, fabrication, transport, installation, and existing infrastructure were considered, as they influenced the final solution. Through OXO Planet’s integrated design-and-build approach, the project was completed and inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh in June 2025. It currently awaits the commencement of public operations.