PM Modi Inaugurates Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, Unveils Key Infrastructure And Mobility Projects In Assam

Guwahati: After launching Northeast's first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) in Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the 'Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu' built across River Brahmaputra to boost connectivity within Guwahati.

This bridge, built at a cost of around Rs 3,030 crore, is a 6-lane extradosed Prestressed Concrete (PSC) bridge that connects Guwahati with North Guwahati and is the first extradosed bridge in Northeast India. The project is expected to reduce travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati to just seven minutes.

The bridge has incorporated base-isolation technology using friction pendulum bearings. Moreover, high-performance stay cables have been used to ensure durability and long-term structural performance, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

Considering the high seismicity of the region, the bridge incorporates base isolation technology using friction pendulum bearings. High-performance stay cables have been used to ensure durability and long-term structural performance. A Bridge Health Monitoring System (BHMS) has also been incorporated for real-time condition monitoring, early damage detection and improved safety and service life of the extradosed bridge, government sources said.

PM Modi, who is on a day-long visit to Assam, landed at around 10.30 AM at the ELF on the Moran Bypass in Dibrugarh, the first such facility in the Northeast, specially designed and constructed in coordination with the Indian Air Force to support landing and take-off of military and civil aircraft during emergencies.

The PMO said in a statement that the ELF would be vital for emergency response, enabling the timely deployment of rescue and relief operations during challenging situations.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated the 'National Data Centre' for the North Eastern Region at Amingaon in Kamrup district of Assam. The state-of-the-art Data Centre, with a total sanctioned load of 8.5 MW and an average rack capacity of 10 kW, will host mission-critical applications of various government departments and also serve as a Disaster Recovery centre for other National Data Centres.

As per officials, the data centre will enable governments in the Northeast to digitally deliver essential citizen-centric services. Aligned with the vision of Digital India, the National Data Centre for the North Eastern Region has been envisaged as a strategic intervention to strengthen the region's ICT backbone and ensure robust, secure and always-available digital infrastructure.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated the temporary campus of IIM Guwahati, which will give a major fillip to higher education and management education in the North-Eastern Region.

This apart, PM Modi virtually flagged off 225 electric buses under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme in Guwahati (100), Nagpur (50), Bhavnagar (50) and Chandigarh (25) under PM-ebus Sewa scheme. With the launch of e-bus operations in these four cities, more than 50 lakh citizens would now benefit through access to clean, affordable and reliable public transport services, contributing to improved urban mobility and enhanced quality of life, the PMO said.

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