Guwahati: The forced diversion of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s IndiGo flight from Dibrugarh to Guwahati due to severe thunderstorms, making it unsafe to land in Guwahati on Sunday night, has once again brought into focus the urgent need for high-speed rail connectivity in Assam and the Northeast.
The flight later resumed safely.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
Sarma was attending a day-long programme at Margherita in Tinsukia district of Upper Assam, around 570 kilometres from the state capital, Guwahati, a journey that would take just 1 hour and 18 minutes by bullet train. The nearest airport is in the neighbouring district of Dibrugarh, at Mohanbari.
The Chief Minister could have completed the 570-kilometre journey between Tinsukia and Guwahati in barely an hour on a bullet train, enjoying the speed and comfort of air travel without the risks of weather disruptions.
Experts say this is not just a matter of convenience, but one of public safety and economics.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The Northeast’s hilly terrain, dense forests, and unpredictable weather make air travel particularly vulnerable. Over the past decade, the region has witnessed several aviation tragedies that underline these risks.
In June 2019, an Indian Air Force AN-32 transport aircraft crashed in Arunachal Pradesh, killing 13 personnel.
In May 2011, a Pawan Hans helicopter crashed in Tawang, claiming 17 lives. Just weeks earlier, in April 2011, another Pawan Hans chopper carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu went down near Lobthang, killing all five people on board.
Between 2017 and 2022, sudden weather changes and poor visibility caused several smaller aircraft and military crashes in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
Aviation analysts argue that these tragedies highlight how over-reliance on air travel in such a geographically fragile zone is dangerous.
“The Northeast is one of the world’s most difficult places for aviation. Dense fog, sudden storms, and narrow valleys make flying inherently risky. High-speed rail, once built, can provide safer and more reliable connectivity, unaffected by such weather hazards,” said Ranjan Kalita, a transport economist.
The economic argument is equally compelling.
“Every time flights are diverted or cancelled, airlines incur massive costs, and passengers lose business hours. A single weather-related disruption can cost lakhs in delays. Bullet trains can save both money and lives while boosting trade and tourism,”
noted policy analyst Ananya Deka.
The government has initiated India’s first bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, but has not sanctioned any such project for Assam or the Northeast.
Observers argue that this reflects policy neglect, as the region, despite its fragile terrain and safety concerns, remains excluded from the high-speed rail vision.
Sunday’s diversion of the Chief Minister’s flight has sparked public debate on whether the region can afford to wait any longer.
“If we truly want the Northeast to be integrated with India’s growth story, high-speed trains must come here. Depending only on airways is unsafe and uneconomical,”
said retired railway engineer Debojit Choudhury.
For now, bullet trains remain a distant dream. But as the skies over Assam remain unpredictable, the call for high-speed rail is growing louder, not just as a symbol of progress, but as a lifeline for safety and development.