Independence Day 2018 celebration in Northeast India's premier city of Guwahati would be a special one as hoisting of tricolor to be done from one of country's tallest flagpoles. The venue is Gandhi Mandap premises located atop Saranai Hills in the city.
Assam Government has spent near about Rs 3 crore to set up the high-mast National Flag in Guwahati as part of the Smart City project at Gandhi Mandap.
On the penultimate day of Independence Day celebration, the construction of th flagpole has been completed. The project was under Guwahati Smart City Ltd, in association with Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority, PMG, Tata Engineering Service and Bajaj Electricals.
An Officer on Special Duty (OSD), GSCL, informed that high strength steel has been used in the pole. The height of the flagpole is 93 metres i.e almost 310 feet. GSCL official said that with a flag size of 120′ X 80′, the flagpole would be visible from most of the parts in the city. The flag will flutter day and night throughout the year and will be illuminated at night with suitable lighting arrangement.
The official of GSCL said that all the safety measures have been maintained and there is no threat for the people residing in the adjacent areas of Gandhi Mandap.
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.
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.