Guwahati: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NF Railway) has completed the work of construction of the tallest pier of the Bairabi-Sairang new railway line project to connect Mizoram with the rest of the country.
Astonishingly, the height of the pier P-4, of bridge number 196 of the project is 104 meters, which is 42 meters taller than the Qutub Minar in New Delhi.
The pier that is at the approach of the Sairang station is a hollow pier of 12 meter external diameter with wall thickness varying from 75 centimetres to 50 centimetres.
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Due to topographical constraint, this pier is located within the centre of a river stream.
Construction of the foundation of this pier within the running stream was a big challenge which has been accomplished by diverting the stream and deploying the extra piling machines.
The pier is designed in such a unique way that the pile cap is provided with four openings of 4.5 meters x 8.5 meters to allow the water to pass through it.
With the completion of this pier, one of the most critical parts of the project has been accomplished.
There were many more challenges in executing this project as availability of working season was very less due to heavy and prolonged monsoon periods, tough and hilly terrains, deep forests, poor accessibility, non-availability of construction materials and overall, lack of skilled labourers in Mizoram.
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With the completion of the project, tourism and socio-economic development of the hill-state and the region as a whole will get a much needed boost.
Once operational, the project will prove to be important in connecting Mizoram with the rail network.
People of the region will also get long distance access across the country and uninterrupted supply of essential goods at low costs.
Once completed, the Bairabi-Sairang new railway line project will mark the dawn of a new era in terms of communication and commerce in the north-eastern region of the country, especially in Mizoram.