Rail, road connectivity restored to Tripura

Tripura, which had been cut-off from the rest of the country for about three months because of heavy rains and flood in neighbouring Assam leading to crisis of essential commodities and fuel, is now limping back to normalcy, officials said today.

Road and rail connectivity, which was stopped for this period, has now been restored.

Thousands of trucks carrying essential commodities were stranded at the Assam-Agartala National Highway at Lowerpoa in Karimganj district of Assam for about three months forcing the Tripura government to impose rationing on sale of petrol and diesel.

Officials of Transport and food and civil supply departments said 68 oil tankers and a large number of trucks carrying commodities entered the state yesterday following temporary repairing of roads in Assam side.

There was no rain in that area for the last three days, officials added.

"Running goods train in the Lumding-Silchar section in Assam started yesterday," Chief Public Relation Officer of N F Railway, Pranav Jyoti Sharma said in a statement.

"The goods train passed through the newly diverted portion in the Lumding–Badarpur hill section. Train movement in that section had to be suspended due to lateral movement and uplift of railway track near Maigrendisa station after very heavy rainfall in that area on May 16 and 17. Repeated attempts to resume train movements through that portion failed due to continued uplift and lateral movement of track," the statement said.

After consultation with experts, it was decided to construct a 300-metre-long diverted portion by-passing the areas which were showing lateral movements. The work for construction of the diverted portion started from June 17 and completed on July 6. After other works which included track linking and construction of a culvert, were completed.

The section will be kept under close observation and passenger train will start running in that section in due course after stabilisation of the section, the statement added.