The UMTA will be responsible for organizing investments in urban transportation infrastructure...
Digital Desk: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma explained the long-term goal of the Guwahati Metro Rail project on August 31 amidst the ongoing highway and road projects in the city of Guwahati. He clarified that before moving on with the metro rail project, the government is concentrating on finishing the six-lane highway ring from Baihata Chariali to Dispur. This implies that the highway project should take precedence over the metro rail program.
Talking to the media, the Assam CM said, "Many people question as to why Guwahati lacks a metro train. The distance between two metro stations is at least 3 kilometers. One terminal will be on Dighalipukhuri and the other will be on Chandmari if we wish to install a track on Silpukhuri."
He further stated, "A metro train won't fit in this little space. However, a ring road will be formed by this six-lane highway that runs from Baihata Chariali via Narengi, Kuruwa, and Jagiroad to Dispur. And once the ring is finished, the metro train will travel above the ring. The ring will be used by the metro train to enter and exit Guwahati. That indicates that we have finished our study on what to do until 2030".
"We often hear that Guwahati is the Northeast's gateway. But I would like to say that Guwahati is not just the gateway of Northeast India; we are planning to make it the gateway of Southeast Asia. Our goal is to touch the sky, and we promise to do that," CM Sarma further added.
It is important to note that the state Cabinet approved the setting up of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) in August 2022. The UMTA will be responsible for organizing investments in urban transportation infrastructure, creating a comprehensive mobility strategy for the city, etc. It was asserted that this would make it possible for the state government to get funding from the federal government for projects like the bus rapid transit system and the mass rapid transit system.
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