Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu. The bridge inaugurated by PM Modi spans over the Brahmaputra River that connects Guwahati and North Guwahati.
As reported by news agency IANS, the 2.86-kilometre-long bridge was built at a cost of around Rs 3,030 crore.
The 6-lane extradosed prestressed concrete (PSC) bridge connects Guwahati with North Guwahati and is the first extradosed bridge in Northeast India.
The Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu Bridge cuts down travel time to 7 minutes
It will cut travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati to 7 minutes. Considering the high seismicity of the region, the bridge incorporates base isolation technology using friction pendulum bearings.
The advanced technology bridge has been built with high-performance stay cables that have been used to ensure durability and long-term structural performance.
To make this an architectural marvel, a Bridge Health Monitoring System (BHMS) has also been incorporated for real-time condition monitoring. The bridge also incorporates early damage detection and improved safety and service life of the extradosed bridge.
PM Modi inaugurates Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) in Dibrugarh
Earlier today, PM Modi inaugurated an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the National Highway in Moran in the Dibrugarh district—the first such facility in the entire northeastern region.
PM Modi also witnessed an air show by the Indian Air Force soon after the ELF was inaugurated. The air show included Rafale, Sukhoi and MIG fighter aircraft, as reported by IANS.
The fighter planes successfully took off and landed on the highway strip. According to officials, at least 1 lakh people gathered to witness the historic occasion today.
Located in Upper Assam, the ELF is being viewed as a major strategic addition to India’s military infrastructure in the Northeast. This will offer the Indian Air Force enhanced operational flexibility in a region that has witnessed heightened tensions in recent years.
The Moran ELF has been designed to function as an alternative landing option in situations where Dibrugarh Airport or the Chabua Air Force Station becomes unavailable due to operational constraints or emergency scenarios, reported IANS.
For the Indian Air Force, this facility significantly strengthens its ability to respond swiftly to contingencies near sensitive border areas.
(With inputs from IANS)