Assam: DPR Prepared for Underwater Tunnel across Brahmaputra River

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for construction of an underwater tunnel across the Brahmaputra River, between Gohpur on the north bank and Numaligarh on the south, has been prepared. As it is a very big project, the approving authority is the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure headed by the Prime Minister.

The project is being implemented by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). Two joint-venture firms were engaged by NHIDCL to prepare the DPR for construction of the proposed tunnel.

According to information from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the DPR for construction of underwater four-lane tunnel connectivity across the Brahmaputra River between Gohpur (on NH-15) and Numaligarh (on NH-715) in the state of Assam has been prepared and technically appraised by the Project Appraisal and Technical Scrutiny Committee (PATSC) in NHIDCL. Considering the scale and complexity of the project, a construction period of five years is envisaged after the award of the project. Decisions regarding implementation of any project are taken based on the outcome of the DPR, fulfilment of criteria, requirement of connectivity, inter-se priority and synergy with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

Notably, the NHIDCL earlier conducted a survey on the feasibility of the tunnel project and finalized its alignment. The tentative length of the project is 33.7 kilometres, inclusive of the tunnel and the road from Gohpur to Numaligarh. The depth of the tunnel can be gauged from the fact that the top of the tunnel crown is proposed to be approximately 32 metres below the lowest bed level of the river Brahmaputra, which itself is very deep at this stretch.

According to the NHIDCL, it was decided to construct the tunnel under the Brahmaputra due to strategic reasons, emphasizing the nation’s defence-security perspective. The proposed project corridor of the Gohpur-Numaligarh section is on the Greenfield alignment. Being a very big project, the final approving authority is the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure headed by the Prime Minister.

 Also Read: Guwahati: GMC Safai Mitras Working to Keep Brahmaputra Clean

Also Watch: