Assam is set to develop its second Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on National Highway-27 in Nalbari district, with authorities approving a proposal to convert a five-kilometre highway stretch into an auxiliary runway for military and emergency operations.
Officials said the proposed facility will come up between Tihu and Madhapur and will be capable of handling military transport aircraft as well as civilian commercial flights during emergencies.
The project is aimed at strengthening strategic and disaster-response infrastructure in the Northeast by creating an alternative logistics and operational hub during national security situations, natural disasters and other emergency scenarios requiring rapid deployment of personnel and supplies.
According to officials, the runway infrastructure will be developed in line with military operational standards and will include reinforced surfaces suitable for heavy aircraft movement.
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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is coordinating with local authorities to implement zoning regulations and maintain no-construction zones along the approach corridors to ensure operational safety and unobstructed landing paths.
Officials said the project forms part of broader efforts to enhance strategic connectivity and emergency preparedness across the northeastern region, which shares sensitive international borders and often faces challenges linked to difficult terrain and extreme weather conditions.
The proposed Nalbari facility follows the recent operationalisation of Assam’s first emergency landing facility near Dibrugarh.
That 4.2-kilometre ELF at Moran in Dibrugarh district was inaugurated as part of the Centre’s push to strengthen dual-use transport infrastructure that can support both civilian and defence requirements.
Emergency landing facilities on highways are designed to allow aircraft to land and take off during wartime contingencies, disaster relief missions or situations where conventional airbases become inaccessible.
Officials said further technical assessments and implementation planning for the Nalbari project are underway.
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