Guwahati: Assam is set to get the Northeast’s first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) for the Indian Air Force.
This ELF is currently under construction at Jatiyani village near Moran in Dibrugarh district. It will be fully operational by October after final technical clearance.
This strategic ELF is a collaboration between the Indian Air Force and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL).
The facility is 4.2km long and is being built on an 11 km four-lane highway stretch between the Polo Club in Khatkhati and Tiloijan.
The project costs Rs 99.86 crore and has already achieved 99 per cent completion. It will be ready by 31 July, after which the technical clearance tests will be conducted.
The ELF at Moran is among multiple such facilities planned across Assam. Similar projects have been approved for areas between Barama and Tihu in Lower Assam, as well as Hojai-Lanka and Lumding in Central Assam.
These initiatives are part of a nationwide plan to set up ELFS every 50 to 100 km to strengthen national security.
The Moran ELF will serve both military and civilian purposes. It will support fighter jets like Sukhoi-30s, Rafales, and Tejas as well as transport aircraft like Hercules and Antonov AN-32.
During emergencies, civilian aircraft can use the facility. Any civilian aircraft facing a problem landing at Dibrugarh Airport can land on the ELF.
The designated highest stretch will be temporarily closed to vehicular traffic during such emergencies and converted into an airstrip.
The ELF would also enhance disaster response capabilities, particularly during Assam’s frequent floods.