Kaliabor, 18 January (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, concluding a two-day Assam visit, laid the foundation stone for the ambitious ₹6,950 crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project and flagged off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains from Nagaon district's Kaliabor on Sunday morning, bolstering Northeast connectivity while prioritizing ecological sanctity.
Eco-Engineered Highway Spans 86 Kilometers Through Biodiversity Hotspot
The transformative initiative expands the Kaliabor-Numaligarh stretch of National Highway-715 to four lanes, incorporating a 35-kilometer elevated wildlife corridor traversing Kaziranga National Park to ensure seamless animal migration—crucial during monsoons—thereby curbing human-wildlife conflicts.
Complementing this are 21 kilometers of bypasses at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat to alleviate urban congestion and 30 kilometers of upgraded existing roadway, threading through Nagaon, Karbi Anglong, and Golaghat districts for enhanced links to Upper Assam hubs like Dibrugarh and Tinsukia.
PM Modi highlighted its dual promise of superior road safety, slashed travel times, fewer accidents, and amplified freight-passenger throughput, all engineered with environmental imperatives at the fore.
Rail Boost Bridges Northeast with Northern Heartland
At the event, Modi virtually inaugurated the Guwahati (Kamakhya)-Rohtak Amrit Bharat Express and Dibrugarh-Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) Amrit Bharat Express, fortifying rail corridors between the Northeast and northern India for safer, amenity-rich journeys. These flag-offs underscore India's infrastructure renaissance, with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, and state ministers Atul Bora and Keshav Mahanta in attendance.
Strategic Vision Echoes Pre-Visit Enthusiasm
Ahead of the ceremony, PM Modi posted on X his anticipation for the Kaliabor Bhoomi Pujan, emphasizing the corridor's monsoon-era wildlife safeguards and connectivity dividends. This hallmark project not only exemplifies sustainable development but positions Assam as a pivotal node in India's expansive growth narrative, promising economic vitality alongside biodiversity preservation.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
