Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu and a slew of other projects in Guwahati this afternoon. The Rs 3,030-crore six-lane bridge on the Brahmaputra River connects Guwahati with North Guwahati. Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were also present on the occasion. After the inauguration, PM Modi took a walk on the bridge.
The bridge has been opened only for pedestrians today, and vehicles will be allowed to ply on it from March 1. This is the first extradosed bridge in Northeast India. It will cut travel time between Guwahati-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 (BHMS) has also been incorporated for real-time condition monitoring, early damage detection and improved safety and service life of the extradosed bridge.
Modi also inaugurated the National Data Centre for the Northeastern region at Armington and the temporary campus of inaugurate IIM Guwahati. The state-of-the-art Data 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 also function as a Disaster Recovery center for other National Data Centers.
PM Modi will also flag off 225 electric buses under the PM-embus Sewa Scheme. Of these buses, 100 are for Guwahati, 50 each for Nagpur and Bhavnagar, and 25 for Chandigarh. 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.
Modi will wrap up his daylong visit to Assam in the evening after addressing a BJP rally at Khanapara in Guwahati.
