GUWAHATI: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the construction of a new rain-cum-road bridge from Agthori in North Guwahati to Kamakhya on Thursday, February 8.
The 8.35 km long bridge will connect the Agthori area, situated near IIT Guwahati, to Kamakhya and will be built at a cost of ₹1,650.37 crore with a double line railway track on lower deck and a 3-lane road with footpaths on the upper deck which will ease connectivity and reduce congestion in the city.
Additionally, the 140 km railway line between Lumding and Furkating has also been approved to be doubled at an estimated cost of ₹2333.84 crore, in order to boost railway connectivity between the districts of Upper Assam and Nagaland and leading to transportation of goods becoming cheaper with enhanced capacity in railway travel.
The centre also approved the construction of five other bridges in Rajasthan, Telangana, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Nagaland, with the total cost of all six projects estimated at ₹12,343 crore and the projects expected to be completed by 2029-30.
The projects under the Indian Railways are expected to facilitate ease of travelling, minimise logistics cost, reduce oil imports and lower CO2 emissions, as well as provide employment opportunities to people.
“These are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as food grains, food commodities, fertilizers, coal, cement, iron, steel, fly-ash, clinker, limestone, POL, container etc. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 87 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum). The Railways being environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and minimizing logistics cost of the country, reduce oil import and lower CO2 emissions,” stated a press release by CCEA.
