Guwahati, the gateway to the Northeast, will have the third tallest flag post in India with a height of 300 ft and with a flag of 120 x 80 ft dimension.
The basement for the flagpole, which is being constructed at Gandhi Mandap in Sarania hilltop, is seven metres with five metres under the ground.
The tallest national flagpole with 360 ft height and with a flag of 120×80 feet dimension was installed along the India-Pakistan border at Attari in Amritsar while the second tallest Indian flagpole was installed at Kolhapur in Maharastra with a height of 303 ft.
But, the construction of the third tallest flagpole of the country to hoist the tricolour on the 72nd Independence Day is yet to be completed.
Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL) authority informed that the Department of Industry and Commerce, Assam financed the budget of 2.91 crore for construction of the flagpole in Guwahati.
The Tata Consulting Engineers Limited has been carrying out the project under the Guwahati Smart City Limited.
An Officer on Special Duty (OSD), GSCL, informed that high strength steel has been used in the pole.
He also said that the pole arrived at Guwahati from Pune just few days back.
Talking about the possible threat of any damage of the sky high flagpole in future on the adjacent areas, the OSD said, “We have maintained all the safety measures. There is no threat for the people residing in the adjacent areas of Gandhi Mandap.”
The OSD also said that the pole would be an attraction for tourists.
He expressed less hope that the flagpole could be completed on time as only a single day is left for celebration of the 72nd Independence Day. Till 1 pm on August 13, 2018, only half part of the flagpole was installed.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) from Borjhar also gave permission for construction of the pole as the foundation is two feet more than the prescribed height.
The Aircraft Warning Lights (high intensity devices that are used as collision avoidance measures) have also been used in the pole.