HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Feb 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a historic landing at the first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) in the Northeast, inaugurating the strategic airstrip built on the Moran bypass in Assam’s Dibrugarh district.
The Prime Minister arrived at Chabua airfield and boarded an Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft before landing on the 4.2-km reinforced stretch of National Highway-37 at Moran. After touchdown, he proceeded to the nearby venue where he witnessed a 40-minute aerial display by the Indian Air Force featuring fighter jets and transport aircraft, including Tejas, Sukhoi and Rafale platforms.
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Developed at a cost of around Rs 100 crore, the ELF has been constructed as a strategic dual-use runway for both military and civilian operations.
Officials said the facility will function as an alternative runway to Dibrugarh airport during emergencies and will strengthen defence preparedness, logistics and disaster response in the region.
In a post on X after the inauguration, Modi said it was a matter of immense pride that the Northeast has received an Emergency Landing Facility, adding that from a strategic perspective and during natural disasters, the infrastructure would be of great importance.
The Prime Minister was received at the site by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh and other members of the Assam cabinet.
Modi was welcomed with a traditional muga gamosa and felicitated with an Assamese japi and a portrait of the last Chutia queen Sati Sadhini.
In a post on X, Sarma described the landing as a paradigm shift in securing the Northeast frontier, stating that the development marks a decisive step in strengthening national security in a region historically sensitive since 1962.
He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for pushing the frontiers of infrastructure development in Assam.
Strategically located, the Moran ELF lies approximately 300 km from the China border and around 200 km from the Myanmar border, enhancing rapid deployment capabilities in the event of contingencies.
Officials said it is the first facility of its kind in the Northeast where fighter aircraft can land on a national highway during emergency situations.
An Emergency Landing Facility is a specially prepared section of a public road designed to temporarily function as an airstrip for aircraft and helicopters during defence contingencies or humanitarian crises.
India’s first such facility was inaugurated in 2021 in Rajasthan’s Barmer district, making the Moran installation the first in the Northeast.
Retired Air Force officer V K Kundra said the ELF would play a crucial role during any eventuality, adding that the Indian Air Force is among the best in the world and fully capable of responding to any war-time situation. (With Inputs from PTI)
