/wion/media/agency_attachments/2024/12/26/2024-12-26t112006978z-wion-white-logo-for-website-2-1.png){kind=logo}
/wion/media/agency_attachments/2024/12/13/2024-12-13t071548098z-wionlogo.webp)
/wion/media/member_avatars/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2020/10/28/167049-vyomika.jpg)
/wion/media/post_attachments/files/2022/05/18/263133-untitled-design-7.png)
New Delhi, India
India is going to build its first underwater road-cum-rail tunnels across the Brahmaputra river in the eastern state of Assam at an estimated cost of Rs 7,000 crore or $902,592.
Making the announcement, the Railway Ministry and Road Transport Ministry said the project is being planned along with the Border Road Organisation (BRO).
Three tunnels will be made in the project, out of which one will be for roadways, the second for railways, and the third for emergency purposes, and all of them will be inter-connected with cross passage.
Every tunnel will be 9.8 km long and will integrate the railway and highways via the Jamurihat-Silghat axis towards Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
The tunnels, which can be used for both civilian and strategic purposes, will take off from about 9 km upstream of the existing Kaliabhomora (Tezpur) road bridge.
They will act as a point of connection between the Dhaliabil railway station on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra and the Jakhlabandha railway station on the south bank.
Also read | Mysterious tunnel from British-era discovered at Legislative Assembly of India's capital
According to the minutes of a chaired by the Railway Ministry, "After discussion on the issue, it was decided that since rail-cum-road underwater tunnel alignment is an essential requirement of the Ministry of Defence, the same may be considered further by the Northeast Frontier Railway subject to technical suitability.''
''However, the cost estimate needs to be revisited by BRO and should be done carefully. The BRO/Road Transport Ministry was also advised to confirm about the funding of the project.''
The project can also be funded by the Defence Ministry to make it an engineering marvel and also benefit the country.
Previously, a project with an estimated expenditure of Rs 12,800 crore ($1.6 million) was proposed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) to build twin tunnels only for vehicles.
Watch WION's live TV here: