Prime MinisterNarendra Modiwill be in Assam on Saturday, beginning his visit at the Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) near Dibrugarh, the first of its kind in the Northeast. The facility, on the Moran bypass, opens an identified stretch on the highway as an "alternative runway" during contingencies, which would be capable of handling emergency landing and take-off operations of fighters, transport aircraft and helicopters.

This will also prove instrumental during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations in far-flung areas, it said.

"The state of Assam is going to witness a historic event, the inauguration of an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Moran bypass in Dibrugarh district on February 14. This ELF is the first of its kind in the northeast region," the ministry said in a statement.

The prime minister will be inaugurating and dedicating this facility to the nation, it said.

The aircraft carrying the prime minister will land at the ELF on Moran Bypass in Dibrugarh, where he will witness the aerial display of fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters.

The ELF has been specially designed and constructed in coordination with the Indian Air Force to support the landing and take-off of military and civil aircraft during emergencies.

It will serve as a critical asset for emergency response, enabling quick deployment of rescue and relief operations during natural disasters or strategic requirements in the Northeast.

Envisioned as dual-use infrastructure, the ELF is capable of handling fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of up to 74 tonnes.

Modi will inaugurate the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu across the Brahmaputra River, built at a cost of around Rs 3,030 crore. The six-lane extradosed prestressed concrete (PSC) bridge connects Guwahati with North Guwahati and is the first such bridge in the Northeast. It is expected to reduce travel time between the two areas to about seven minutes.

Given the high seismic activity in 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.

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