Narendra Modi inaugurated key infrastructure projects in Assam, including the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setover the Brahmaputra River and the Northeast’s first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on National Highway-37 in Dibrugarh. These developments mark significant strides in connectivity and strategic infrastructure in India’s Northeastern region.
Key Components of the Inauguration
Emergency Landing Facility (ELF)
The first highway-based Emergency Landing Facility in Northeast India was inaugurated at Moran Bypass, a 4.2 km stretch of National Highway-37.
It is designed to support landing and take-off of both military and civilian aircraft in emergencies and contingency situations.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) coordinated the project and demonstrated its operational potential through aerial displays featuring fighter jets and transport aircraft.
The facility can handle fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes maximum take-off weight, adding a new layer to national defence readiness.
Additional Useful Facts:
Highway emergency landing strips (also called Strategic Highway Airstrips) enhance Air Force deployment flexibility and serve as alternate landing options during calamities or when nearby airports are unavailable.
Such dual-use facilities also help in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations by enabling rapid evacuation and medical airlifts.
Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu
A six-lane extradosed prestressed concrete bridge was launched over the Brahmaputra at Guwahati–North Guwahati, costing about ₹3,030 crore.
This is the first extradosed bridge in Northeast India and significantly reduces travel time between the two city sides.
Additional Useful Facts:
Extradosed bridges are hybrid structures combining features of girder and cable-stayed bridges, offering better load distribution and improved seismic resistance.
The bridge includes a Bridge Health Monitoring System (BHMS) for real-time structural safety assessment.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
