Guwahati, Feb 15: In a move positioned as a major boost to national security in the Northeast, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the Union Cabinet’s approval for a twin-tube underwater rail-cum-road tunnel under the Brahmaputra between Gohpur and Numaligarh marks a decisive step toward securing the region.
Watch this video to get a visual idea on how the upcoming Twin tube Tunnel connecting Numaligarh and Gohpur will look like.
This project is being made for the first time in India and we are eternally thankful to Adarniya @narendramodi ji for his support in turning this vision… pic.twitter.com/gFVWmkkYtT
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 15, 2026
Calling it a “historic and strategic” project, Sarma said the tunnel—estimated to cost around ₹18,000 crore—will be India’s first underwater rail-cum-road tunnel and only the second such tunnel in the world to integrate both transport modes beneath a major river.
Unlike the Atal Tunnel, which serves as a road tunnel in the Himalayas, the proposed Brahmaputra tunnel will combine both highway and railway connectivity, significantly enhancing logistical mobility across Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Framing the project in security terms, Sarma recalled Assam’s vulnerability during the Sino-Indian War, when limited infrastructure forced evacuations as Chinese forces advanced toward Tezpur.
Assam saw the 1962 war because we did not have assets at that point in time. We had backed up to Tezpur, even evacuated Tezpur,” he said, underlining how infrastructure gaps had once exposed the region.
The Chief Minister also referred to threats made during the anti-CAA protests, asserting that such developments have reinforced the need for robust strategic assets to ensure uninterrupted connectivity and rapid troop and resource mobilisation.
Sarma emphasised Assam’s sensitive geopolitical position, bordered by Bangladesh and Bhutan to the west, China to the north, and Myanmar to the east. He said the Narendra Modi-led government has factored in “threat perception” while sanctioning major infrastructure projects across Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
The tunnel is expected to provide an all-weather, secure transport corridor beneath the Brahmaputra—critical in scenarios where surface bridges or routes could be disrupted.
The Chief Minister further noted that uninterrupted connectivity remains essential given the vulnerability of the Siliguri Corridor, commonly known as the “Chicken’s Neck,” which links the Northeast to the rest of India. Any disruption in this narrow corridor could isolate the region.
Officials said by creating alternative, high-capacity infrastructure within the Northeast itself, the Centre aims to reduce strategic dependence on single transit routes while strengthening defence preparedness, economic integration, and civilian resilience.
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