NEW DELHI, March 8 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal�s dream project of constructing two express highways on both the banks of Brahmaputra River is still on the drawing board stage.
Confirming this, Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Arjun Ram Meghwal said in a Lok Sabha reply that the works relating to construction of two express highways on both the banks of Brahmaputra will be taken up after finalisation of DPR and approval of the Project. The estimated cost of these two proposed Express Highways will be known after preparation of DPR.
The Government of Assam has proposed to construct two express highways on both the banks of Brahmaputra.
The Water Resources Department had kept a budget provision of Rs 250 lakh for the purpose of survey of express highways during the budget of 2017-18 and has already completed the preliminary land survey. Again, for dredging of Brahmaputra, construction of express highways and overall development of Brahmaputra, the Water and Power Consultancy Services Ltd. (WAPCOS) has been requested by the Water Resources Department.
The Water Resources Department of Government of Assam has constituted two Expert Committees during the year 2017-18 � one for �Flood and Erosion Protection of Majuli Island� and the other for �Fluvial Morphology of River Brahmaputra, Sediment Management with possibility of Dredging by adopting Modern Technology�.
The Expert Committees have been constituted by the Water Resources Department, for effective solution of flood and erosion of Majuli Island and the Brahmaputra River as a whole. The Expert Committees were constituted last February.
Fund allocated for the purpose of protection of Majuli Island was Rs. 20 crore and for survey of Brahmaputra Express Highways under Dredging of Brahmaputra was Rs 2.50 crore for the year 2017-18.
The Water Resources Department had constructed 4473.82 km of embankment in Brahmaputra and Barak valley up to 11th Plan period for flood protection of the State. Again, during the 12th Plan period the Government of Assam had constructed 28.85 km of new embankment to save the flood affected areas from flood.
The on-going schemes are likely to be completed by the end of the year 2018-19, Meghwal said.
