GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a historic landing at the first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) of the northeast in Assam’s Dibrugarh district.

 An Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130J aircraft, which took off from the Chabua airfield carrying the Prime Minister, landed at the ELF located on the Moran Bypass in Dibrugarh district.

“Historic moment as Adarniya Shri @narendramodi Ji inaugurates the first Emergency Landing Facility in Northeast India at Moran, Dibrugarh,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X.

Later, the Prime Minister witnessed an aerial display of fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters at Moran. Earlier, the IAF undertook successful trials on the 4.2-km stretch.

This ELF is the first of its kind in the Northeast, specially designed and constructed in coordination with the IAF to support the landing and take-off of military and civil aircraft during emergencies. It is strategically important considering that the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh is just a few hundred kilometres away.

“It will serve as a critical asset for emergency response, enabling quick deployment of rescue and relief operations during natural disasters or strategic requirements in the Northeast,” an official statement said.

Envisioned as dual-use infrastructure, the ELF is capable of handling fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes maximum take-off weight.

During his day-long visit, Modi will inaugurate several key projects aimed at accelerating connectivity, strengthening digital infrastructure, promoting higher education, and enhancing public transport.

He will inaugurate Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, built at a cost of around Rs 3,030 crore across the Brahmaputra. The six-lane extradosed Prestressed Concrete bridge connects Guwahati with North Guwahati and is the first extradosed bridge in the Northeast. It will cut travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati to seven minutes.

Considering the high seismicity of the region, the bridge incorporates base isolation technology using friction pendulum bearings. High-performance stay cables have been used to ensure durability and long-term structural performance. A Bridge Health Monitoring System has also been incorporated for real-time condition monitoring, early damage detection and improved safety and service life of the extradosed bridge.  

Modi will also inaugurate the National Data Centre for the region in Kamrup district. The state-of-the-art centre, with a total sanctioned load of 8.5 MW and an average rack capacity of 10 kW per rack, will host mission-critical applications of various government departments and function as a Disaster Recovery centre for other National Data Centres. 

“The Prime Minister will flag off 225 electric buses under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme in Guwahati (100), Nagpur (50), Bhavnagar (50) and Chandigarh (25). With the launch of e-bus operations under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme in these four cities, more than 50 lakh citizens are expected to benefit through access to clean, affordable and reliable public transport services, contributing to improved urban mobility and enhanced quality of life,” the statement further read.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14 inaugurated the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, a six-lane extradosed bridge spanning the Brahmaputra and linking Guwahati with North Guwahati, marking a major leap in Assam’s urban connectivity infrastructure.

Constructed at an estimated cost of around ?3,030 crore, the Prestressed Concrete (PSC) structure is the first extradosed bridge in Northeast India. The project is designed to significantly ease congestion and enhance mobility between the two banks of the river, reducing travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati to approximately seven minutes.

Given the region’s high seismic vulnerability, the bridge has been engineered with advanced base isolation technology incorporating friction pendulum bearings to enhance resilience against earthquakes. High-performance stay cables have been deployed to ensure long-term durability and structural integrity.

 In a move toward smart infrastructure management, the bridge is equipped with a Bridge Health Monitoring System (BHMS), enabling real-time condition assessment, early detection of structural stress or damage, and improved operational safety over its service life.

The inauguration of Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu is expected to accelerate economic activity, improve regional connectivity and strengthen Guwahati’s role as a gateway city to the Northeast.