Assam plans 4 new airports, feasibility study deal with Centre in March: CM

Guwahati: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said state govt plans to develop four new airports in Majuli, Diphu, Umrangso and Manas, adding that an agreement will be signed with the civil aviation ministry in March to carry out feasibility studies for the projects.The CM said if the response is positive, the airports could be built within the next five years, adding that people in Assam may witness aircraft landing on water.Sarma on Sunday said Assam and the northeast must have many strategic assets to keep the country secure. A day after PM Modi inaugurated the region’s first emergency landing facility (ELF) at Moran in Dibrugarh district, Sarma said Assam govt has written to the Centre, seeking additional ELFs.He added that the concept of another ELF is already in place, with a plan to build four to five more. “Assam govt shot off letters stating that we need more ELFs. The military regions will be looked after by IAF, but in the civil region, in case of flood, C-130 aircraft can land with relief material,” the CM said, stating that such aircraft can serve dual purposes for both IAF and civilian needs. PM Modi landed at the northeast’s first ELF at Moran on Saturday in a C-130J aircraft.

Speaking to the media, Sarma said projects such as the proposed twin-tube road-cum-rail tunnel between Gohpur and Numaligarh and an underground corridor beneath the Chicken’s Neck are strategic, amid wartime speculation.“The situation of the northeast is very, very strategic. The northeast is connected with the mainland through a 22 km Chicken’s Neck. Moran ELF, Numaligarh-Gohpur terminal tunnel and the railway corridor beneath the Chicken’s Neck are very, very strategic projects,” Sarma added.Calling the Moran ELF a high-stakes project that strengthens the northeast’s strategic security, Sarma said it is about 200 km from China and 70 km from Myanmar. He said adversaries often target infrastructure during war, and the Moran ELF would be crucial for aircraft operations if the Dibrugarh airport were attacked.On the Union Cabinet-approved Numaligarh-Gohpur tunnel, Sarma said if a war breaks out and bridges over the Brahmaputra — such as Bogibeel and Kaliabhomora — are bombed, the rail-cum-road tunnel would be vital in keeping connectivity intact.

He said the underground tunnel has Army backing, with NHIDCL, Indian Railways and state govt as other stakeholders.“We have to build lots of strategic assets in the northeast and Assam,” Sarma said, stressing the need to take internal threats and cross-border threats seriously to keep India and Assam secure.He also said work is underway to finalise a proposal to connect Tata’s semiconductor plant in Morigaon district to Bhutan via Udalguri and Darrang through a national highway.

“This proposal is under active consideration. The semiconductor plant will be connected with Bhutan’s boundary,” Sarma added.Sarma said while major highway and strategic projects are being built in Arunachal Pradesh along the China border, Assam is being developed as a backup state in the event of war.He said nobody wants a war, but thanked PM Modi for creating strategic assets, adding that while these are linked to protection and security, they will largely be used by civilians. He said state govt is actively involved in taking forward these initiatives.