India’s first underwater roadway tunnel project in Assam might get Cabinet nod soon

Guwahati: Assam’s first underwater tunnel project connecting Gohpur and Numaligarh might soon get approval from the Union Cabinet after the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was completed and the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) provided clearance.

The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), who will be handling the execution of this project, will be the first underwater road tunnel in India. The project planned under the river Brahmaputra is waiting for a nod from the Union cabinet. The tunnel also holds a very strategic importance due to its proximity to Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China. 

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The tunnel slated for construction between Gohpur and Numaligarh is estimated to be built at a cost of Rs 6000 crore within a period of five years. The total length of the Gohpur – Numaligarh tunnel project corridor in Assam is a tentative 33.7 km, which includes the 15.6 km four-lane, twin-tube underwater tunnel and its connecting approach roads, aiming to cut travel time distance drastically between both the banks of the Brahmaputra.

A senior government official while speaking to the media said, “The Detailed Project Report (DPR) is ready and very soon it will be placed in the Union Cabinet  Ministry’s table for approval. We remain optimistic of the fact that the project shall get a Cabinet nod very soon”.  

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“The DPR has been formulated by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and underwent technical evaluation by the project Appraisal and Technical Scrutiny Committee (PATSC) within NHIDCL”, the official added. 

Meanwhile, The National Board for Wildlife’s Standing Committee has endorsed the proposed tunnel but has requested a scientific assessment regarding its potential effects on soil stability, groundwater movement, sediment patterns and seismic susceptibility.

Assam Rising
Author: Assam Rising

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