The first emergency landing facility on a national highway in North East is expected to be ready in eastern Assam by October, in a boost to national security and disaster preparedness, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday.
Two such strips on national highways in western (lower) and central Assam will also be developed, which can be used for landing advanced defence aircraft like Sukhoi and Rafael as well as civilian flights, he said.
Sarma, visiting the upcoming facility at Moran Bypass, being constructed under the Dibrugarh–Moran NH project in coordination with the Indian Air Force (IAF), said, “This will be the first emergency landing facility in the entire North East region.”
It is being developed in a strip of 4 km of the national highway between Moran and Demow, and is expected to be activated by October, he said.
“I had a meeting with district administration, NHIDCL and IAF here today, and the small issues that were there were resolved,” Sarma said. He said from civilian aircraft to advanced fighter jets, like Sukhoi and Rafael, will also be able to land on the strip. “During the opening of this strip, I have requested the IAF for holding an air show and bring in some of the fighter jets also,” Sarma added.
He said two more such emergency landing facilities will be developed by the Centre in the state – one between Tihu and Barama in lower (western) part, and another between Nagaon and Lumding (Sankardev Nagar) in central part.
The Chief Minister’s Office, in a post on X, added, “Implemented by NHIDCL, this strategic project will enhance disaster response and national security readiness.”
Sarma further said another proposal is being mooted with NHIDCL for preparing helipads at specific gaps on national highway in eastern or upper Assam for use during floods.
“If there are such high floods that helicopters cannot land in any existing facility, in such situation we are thinking of having helipads at specific gaps of the national highway which are above the highest flood level,” he said.
“We are in talks with the Central government. It is being planned for the entire stretch from Numaligarh to Dibrugarh to Tinsukia, which will give a facelift to the entire road,” the chief minister added.