Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a landmark landing on Saturday at the Northeast’s first emergency landing facility, arriving on board a C-130J Super Hercules in Moran, Assam, for a series of high-profile engagements, including the inauguration of major infrastructure projects and the inspection of strategic facilities aimed at strengthening connectivity and development in the Northeast.
The Prime Minister landed at the Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Moran Bypass in Dibrugarh at around 10.51 am, following which he witnessed an aerial display featuring fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters. The display involved touch-and-go exercises by the Air Force's Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Rafale fighter jets on the Moran Bypass, which turned into a runway.
Strategic importance of the ELF
The facility is the first of its kind in Northeast India and has been developed in coordination with the Indian Air Force. It has been specially designed and constructed in coordination with the Indian Air Force to support the landing and take-off of military and civil aircraft during emergencies. It will serve as a critical asset for emergency response, enabling quick deployment of rescue and relief operations during natural disasters or strategic requirements in the Northeast.
India's Northeastern region shares international borders with China, Bangladesh and Myanmar in different states. The historic landing and the aerial exercises are meant to send a message of India's strategic prowess in the region.
The runway is capable of handling fighter aircraft weighing up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 74 tonnes. It is expected to serve as a vital asset for emergency response, enabling swift rescue and relief operations during natural disasters and strategic contingencies in the region.
Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu over the Brahmaputra
The Prime Minister also inspected the newly constructed Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu across the Brahmaputra River. Built at a cost of approximately Rs 3,030 crore, the 6-lane extradosed prestressed concrete bridge connects Guwahati with North Guwahati.
The bridge is the first extradosed structure of its kind in the Northeast and is expected to reduce travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati to about 7 minutes.
Given the region’s high seismic activity, the bridge incorporates base isolation technology using friction pendulum bearings. High-performance stay cables have been installed to ensure durability and long-term structural stability. A Bridge Health Monitoring System has also been integrated to allow real time condition monitoring, early detection of damage and enhanced safety.
Development projects worth Rs 5,450 crore for Assam
At around 1.30 pm, the Prime Minister inaugurated and flagged off multiple development projects worth over Rs 5,450 crore at Lachit Ghat in Guwahati. These projects are aimed at boosting connectivity, digital infrastructure, higher education and urban mobility across the North Eastern Region.
National data centre for the Northeast
Among the key initiatives is the inauguration of the National Data Centre for the Northeastern region at Amingaon in Kamrup district of Assam. The facility has a total sanctioned load of 8.5 MW and an average rack capacity of 10 kW.
The data centre will host mission-critical applications for various government departments and act as a disaster recovery centre for other national data centres. Aligned with the Digital India vision, it is expected to strengthen the region’s information and communication technology backbone and ensure secure, reliable and continuous digital services for citizens.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the new campus of the Indian Institute of Management Guwahati. The institute is expected to significantly enhance higher and management education opportunities in the Northeast, further supporting the region’s long-term academic and economic growth.
