Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to Northeast India when he landed on Saturday at the Emergency Landing Facility in Assam using an Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft. The new facility creates additional military and emergency response capabilities for the entire region.

The Prime Minister began his one-day visit to the poll-bound state by taking off from the Chabua airfield and landing on a specially developed stretch of National Highway-37 at Moran. The new facility has been built on the Moran Bypass.

In a recent post on X, PM Modi explained that the ELF system functions as an essential emergency response tool which enables quick rescue and relief operations during critical emergency situations.

The facility includes a runway which military and civilian aircraft can use for their operations.

The 4.2-km reinforced stretch which cost ₹100 crore to build will serve as a military runway that allows Indian Air Force fighter jets and transport aircraft to operate. The facility can accommodate fighter jets that weigh up to 40 tonnes and transport planes that have a maximum take-off weight of 74 tonnes.

The Emergency Landing Facility functions as a military base which provides emergency landing support to both military personnel and civilian aircraft. The first Emergency Landing Facility in India opened in 2021 at Barmer district which is located in Rajasthan.

The Prime Minister watched a 40-minute air show at Moran which included Tejas and Sukhoi and Rafale fighter jets that demonstrated the operational capacity of the Indian Air Force.

Development Projects Inaugurated

PM Modi will start important development projects for Assam which he will initiate at his scheduled inauguration. The Brahmaputra River bridge which connects Guwahati to North Guwahati will reduce traffic congestion and decrease travel times while it improves accessibility between the two riverbanks.

He will also open the temporary campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Guwahati at Bongora.

The Prime Minister will introduce 100 electric buses which will operate in Guwahati to enhance public transportation while decreasing carbon emissions and improving the city’s air quality. He will give a speech to BJP workers in Guwahati later in the day.

The Emergency Landing Facility opening represents an important advancement for defense logistics and disaster readiness in the Northeast area while showing the Central Government’s dedication to building regional infrastructure.