VIDEO: Floodwater From Barak River Enters Silchar Railway Station In Assam, Situation Grim As Over 2 Lakh Affected
Train services, cancelled or short-terminated due to landslides along the Haflong-Badarpur rail route, are yet to be restored.
The northeastern states of Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, and southern Assam are facing severe isolation due to the aftermath of Cyclone Remal. The continuous downpour triggered landslides, causing significant damage to railway tracks and disrupting essential services in the region. The railway tracks in the New Haflong-Bandarkhal section under the Lumding division in southern Assam have been either inundated, waterlogged, or damaged at multiple locations. This has hampered connectivity to south Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram, leaving these states isolated.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) officials are facing challenges as the water levels of rivers like Barak, Madhura, and Jiri are above the danger level. The restoration work is on hold until the water recedes, with intermittent heavy rains further delaying the process. “Currently intermittent heavy rain also badly hampered the work. However, our engineers and workers are working round-the-clock to restore rail services,” an NFR official told IANS.
VIDEO | Floodwater from Barak River enters Silchar Railway Station in Assam. pic.twitter.com/Ci4FDo1RHd
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The disruptions in railway and highway connectivity have led to a shortage of transport fuel, essential goods, and food grains in southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur. Considering the damaged infrastructure and weak soil in the region, NFR has limited train operations on the hilly routes. The focus is on regulating the movement of long-distance trains to prevent further damage and ensure the safety of passengers and goods.
Life came to a standstill in the three districts of Barak Valley and Dima Hasao, while intermittent rainfall and thunderstorms were reported from other affected districts on Thursday, officials said.
In Karimganj, Cachar, and Hailakandi districts, the Barak river and its tributaries Longai, Kushiara, Singla, and Katakhal were flowing above the danger level at several locations, maintaining a rising trend while four embankments were damaged in Karimganj.
The southwest monsoon has entered Assam and other parts of the Northeast region ahead of its scheduled time due to the effect of cyclone Remal, according to the Indian Meteorological Department.
The IMD has warned of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Dibrugarh, Karimganj, Cachar, Hailakandi, Dima Hasao, Dhubri and South Salmara districts in the next two days.
(With inputs from agencies)
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