Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday (9 November) announced projects worth Rs 68,000 crore to make international standard surface-connectivity in four north-eastern states.
These include projects worth Rs 50,000 crore for Assam, Rs 9,000 crore for Meghalaya, Rs 5,000 crore for Nagaland and Rs 4,000 crore for Sikkim.
“Our aim is to change the entire scenario of road transport in North-East by 2024. We target to make roads of international standards in this region,” Gadkari said while addressing a press conference after reviewing various national highways in the region.
Five Projects In Assam
- Guwahati Ring Road: The 91-km ring road connecting the peripheries of Guwahati will be constructed at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore.
It will be a key component of the state capital region and will provide Guwahati a modern look. The work on the ring road project is slated to start within the next 2-3 months.
As part of the ring road project, a bridge on the Brahmaputra connecting Narengi and Kuruwa is also proposed to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore.
- Elevated Kaziranga Corridor: The 38-km elevated road is planned to be built over nine corridors used by the animals of the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) usually during high floods.
Kaziranga National Park, situated in Assam, is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site of India and known for the Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros.
The four-lane project will run along an existing arterial highway and will be built at a cost of Rs 6,000 crore.
The highway along the southern edge of KNP has often proved fatal for animals fleeing the park during floods for the safety of the hills of the Karbi Anglong district, further south.
- 6-Lane Khanapara-Jorabat Road: The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) will convert the existing 25-km-long four-lane stretch from Jalukbari to Jorabat via Khanapara into a six-lane highway.
The ambitious project is designed to ease the growing traffic and congestion on the NH-37 from Jalukbari near Guwahati to Jorabat.
- Five Ropeway Projects: The National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) and the Assam government have signed a (Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for five ropeway projects in the state at a total cost of Rs 2,000 crore.
One of these, is a rope-way project connecting Khanapara with Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport.
- Jorhat-Majuli Bridge: The 6.8-km bridge on NH-715K is being built over Brahmaputra River between Majuli (Kamalabari) and Jorhat (Nimati Ghat).
It has an estimated cost of Rs 925.47 crore and the work has been awarded to UP State Bridge Corporation Limited. This bridge will be constructed by March, 2025.
The construction of the bridge has been a long demand of the people of Majuli, who for generations have been dependent on the ferry services to connect with the mainland of Assam.
This bridge will provide easy and all-time access to the people living in Majuli town with the rest of Assam to meet their health, education and day-to-day development activities.
The construction of this bridge will also provide a safe evacuation access to the people of Majuli Island during flood in Brahmaputra River.
Union Minister Gadkari, further, said that the government will complete the ongoing Rs 2 lakh crore worth of road projects by 2024.