Guwahati, Jun 24 (IANS): Assam will get its first underwater tunnel between Gohpur and Numaligarh at a cost of Rs 6,000 crore, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Saturday.

Speaking at a public function, he said, "We have planned to build an underwater tunnel between Gohpur and Numaligarh through Brahmaputra. The estimated cost of the tunnel will be around Rs 6,000 crores."

The Chief Minister said that the tunnel will have facilities of both rail and vehicular movement.

"When the tunnel will be built, it will further connect the north and south banks of Brahmaputra River," he added.

According to Sarma, the initial process to build the tunnel will begin in the first week of July.

"Once I dreamt of making such an underwater tunnel in Assam, however, I could not think whether it could be possible or not. But now Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the green signal to build the tunnel," the Chief Minister mentioned.

He also said that the state government was looking for a best possible place to build the underwater tunnel and finally Gohpur and Numaligarh were selected for it.