GUWAHATI, Jan. 2: Assam chief secretary Ravi Kota on Thursday said land acquisition for the Umiam (Barapani)-Silchar high-speed corridor project has begun in the state.
The chief secretary informed that about 85 percent of the land for the project falls in Meghalaya and acquisition of the same will be completed by the Meghalaya government under norms of the hill council.
The 166.80-km four-lane highway will run from Mawlyngkhung near Umiam Lake in Meghalaya to Panchgram near Silchar in Assam, with 144.80 km passing through Meghalaya and 22 km through Assam.
The corridor, when completed, will form part of the National Highway-06.
“Meanwhile, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has completed the planning process for the project while the environmental clearance is expected within the next four to five weeks,” Kota informed mediapersons during a New Year interaction programme in the presence of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
He further said that tenders for the project would be floated before February 28. “The express highway is expected to be completed within 48 months from the start of construction,” he added.
Chief minister Sarma said that once the high-speed corridor is operational, travel time between Guwahati and Silchar would be reduced to just six hours. “There is a proposal for a six-lane project between Guwahati and Byrnihat as well. So, once these projects are completed, Barak Valley and the rest of Assam will be better connected along with significantly reduced travel time,” he said.
The Union Cabinet had earlier cleared the development of a high-speed corridor between Umiam and Silchar at an estimated cost of Rs 22,864 crore.
The project is aimed at easing congestion and improving traffic flow between Guwahati and Silchar. The alignment passes through Ri-Bhoi, East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills districts in Meghalaya, and Cachar district in Assam.
