The bridge connecting the city of Guwahati to North Guwahati over the mighty Brahmaputra may soon become a reality after 14 years of being confined to paper. State Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state government will take the matter as a priority, a day after a mechanized boat sang in Brahmaputra, an accident that could have been avoided.
Referring to the proposed road-only six-lane bridge connecting the southern and northern banks of the Brahmaputra in the city Sarma said on Thursday, "The bridge is the only permanent solution".
The proposed bridge announced by Sarma will be 1.6 km, of which 1.24 km will be designed as a multi-span extradosed bridge – a technology superior to conventional bridge design in terms of safety and aesthetics.
He said, "We have received approval for external aid from the finance ministry. We will avail a loan of Rs 2,000 crore from the BRICS New Development Bank. IIT-Guwahati has finalized the design. We hope to start construction of the bridge within the next six months and complete it by 2022,"
Until the bridge is completed, the government will consider all options for providing a safer mode of transport for the people.
We did stop operation of such boats several times earlier. Each time, we had to resume services because of the people's demand. There are reports that the boats do not have life jackets, which is mandatory. Some boats, I have been told, are not in proper condition. The government will discuss these issues and take a decision," the minister said.
(Featured image:The Indian Express)
