Guwahati, Jan 2: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state has witnessed “unprecedented” infrastructure growth over the past five years, unveiling plans that include India’s first underwater rail-and-road tunnel beneath the Brahmaputra River.
Addressing reporters on Thursday, Sarma said the ambitious twin-tube tunnel project—initially conceived as a road tunnel—was significantly upgraded after Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested incorporating a railway line as well. “When the proposal came up in the Cabinet, the Prime Minister proposed that provision for railways must also be made. The project cost has therefore risen from ₹12,000 crore to about ₹20,000 crore,” he said.
The tunnel, expected to be completed in five years, is strategically located close to Arunachal Pradesh, which shares a border with China, adding to its national security significance. Engineers plan to sink the tunnel deep beneath the riverbed—the crown of the tunnel will lie nearly 32 metres below the Brahmaputra’s lowest bed level, underscoring the scale and technical complexity of the project.
Sarma recalled how the idea took shape. “With so many bridges over the river, I wondered—can we have a tunnel under the Brahmaputra? We know of the Atal Tunnel in the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir. Why not an underwater tunnel here where both trains and vehicles can move?” he said.
The Chief Minister also announced that the Prime Minister is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor on January 17 or 18. Valued at over ₹6,900 crore and stretching about 34.45 km, the project is aimed at easing traffic and protecting wildlife movement in the Kaziranga National Park.
Also Watch
Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.
Also, Follow us on-
Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub
Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020
Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub
Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub
