NEW DELHI, Aug 25: With recent floods causing damage to road infrastructure across Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday sought urgent restoration of affected National Highways and long-term measures to make the state’s road network better equipped to withstand recurring floods and flash floods.
The Chief Minister discussed the issues during a detailed meeting with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi.
A major focus of the discussions was the early repair and restoration of National Highway stretches damaged during the recent floods. Sarma also emphasised the need to move beyond temporary solutions by incorporating stronger flood-resilience measures into the planning and construction of future highway infrastructure.
According to the Chief Minister, scientific and evidence-based planning would be important while determining the design and location of culverts and bridges, with the objective of improving drainage and reducing the risk of highways being severely affected during floods.
Jorabat Flash Flooding Raises Infrastructure Concerns
The recurring flash-flood situation at Jorabat also figured prominently in the meeting.
Sarma sought a comprehensive review and redesign of the highway infrastructure in the area to address the problem on a long-term basis. Gadkari assured him that the issue would receive serious consideration, the Chief Minister said after the meeting.
Jorabat has repeatedly faced waterlogging and flash-flood-related disruptions, making a sustainable engineering solution a key concern for the state. The issue had also been linked to proposed flood-mitigation measures associated with the wider infrastructure development in the area.
Focus on Major Road Projects
Apart from flood-related infrastructure concerns, the meeting also reviewed the progress of several important road projects planned or underway in Assam.
These included the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, the Guwahati Ring Road, and the proposed upgradation of key National Highway stretches across the state.
The discussions focused on speeding up these projects while improving Assam’s overall road connectivity and ensuring that future infrastructure is designed to cope better with extreme weather conditions.
Following the meeting, Sarma expressed gratitude to Gadkari for his assurance of continued support and consideration for Assam’s road infrastructure requirements.
The meeting comes as Assam continues its post-flood recovery efforts, with road and other critical infrastructure in several areas affected by heavy rainfall, flooding, erosion and related damage during the monsoon season.
