JOIN USRail, road links in Northeast India badly hit by floods and landslides
Rail and road communication in the Northeast has been severely affected due to flood and landslides, with South Assam and neighbouring Mizoram, Tripura and parts of Manipur remaining cut off from the rest of the country for nearly a week now.
Rail connectivity between Guwahati and South Assam districts and Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur has remained snapped since May 16 when flash floods and landslides following heavy rains damaged railway tracks at several locations under Lumding-Badarpur section in Assam, while landslides on June 15 at several places on NH-6 in Meghalaya that connects Guwahati with South Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and parts of Manipur brought road movements to a standstill.
Assam and Tripura governments tried to airlift the stranded people but heavy rains and bad weather conditions since June 14 haves also affected transportation by air.
The administration in Meghalaya closed the NH-6 after portions of the highway caved in and landslides blocked the road at several locations, particularly in areas under Nongsning police station in East Jaintia Hills district.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on Saturday had to cancel and divert several trains due to damages caused to railway tracks between Jamunamukh - Jugijan section of Lumding and Tangla - Harisinga section of Rangiya divisions in Assam. The NFR said breaches on tracks were reported in at least 61 locations in the 85-km stretch under Lumding-Badarpur sections in May. At least 46 locations were repaired but the heavy rains and flood since June 14 brought the restoration work to a halt.
At least 62 persons have died due to flood and landslides in Assam since April 6 while 28 persons have died in neighbouring Meghalaya, most of them due to landslides. At least six persons have died in landslides in Arunachal Pradesh too.
Bangladesh route
As both rail and road links have remained snapped due to flood, Tripura and Mizoram government has sought the Centre's nod for use of the waterways via Bangladesh, with which the two states share borders.
In a letter to the Centre on June 17, Tripura CM, Manik Saha said as the entire foodgrains meant for distribution under the PDS is transported through railway, the damage of tracks in Lumding-Badarpur sections has severely affected the foodgrains transportation. He said Tripura on June 17 had 6,100 Metric Tons of foodgrains and the state requires 3,200 MT of foodgrains every month. "As an alternative means for transportation of foodgrains, Ashuganj river port in Bangladesh can be used. This port was used in 2016," Saha said in the letter.