As Assam heads towards elections, it has seen several projects being rolled out, along with the timely inauguration and completion of others. One of the most prominent among them is the first underwater road-cum-rail tunnel, which will be the first of its kind in India and has recently been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
The four-lane, access-controlled greenfield road connecting Gohpur to Numaligarh, including a 15.79 km road-cum-rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra river, will be developed at a total cost of Rs 18,662 crore in Assam.
To be built under the engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) model, the project will significantly reduce travel time and distance between Numaligarh and Gohpur – from 240 km to 34 km – and cut travel time by 95 percent, from six hours to just 20 minutes.
While this project is undoubtedly a milestone in terms of infrastructure development, all necessary precautions must be taken, especially regarding environmental impact. The ecological consequences must be carefully assessed, and comprehensive mitigation plans must be prepared and implemented, as the region is an ecologically sensitive zone. Safety is another critical issue that must be addressed, as India has often witnessed weak implementation standards resulting in falling bridges and collapsing roads.