Fly abroad, not to Silchar: Barak valley faces isolation amid blocked routes

The roads to Silchar have always tested patience. But now, they’re testing privilege. Monsoon rains have completely cut off road and rail links between Guwahati and Silchar, leaving many people stranded; including a few students stuck in Guwahati with no affordable or convenient means to return home.

With railway tracks and key national highways — NH6 and NH27 — blocked due to widespread landslides, air travel has become the only viable option. However, flight tickets from Guwahati to Silchar are now priced at over Rs 18,000 — more expensive than many international routes.

Trains cancelled and roads blocked:

A fresh landslide that erupted on July 6 between Mupa and Dihakho has once again brought the Lumding–Silchar rail route to a halt. Trains like the Guwahati–Silchar Express and Rangiya–Silchar Express have been either fully cancelled or cut short.

This same stretch has witnessed repeated landslides since June 23. Even though railway workers are working round-the-clock, aided by heavy machinery, the tracks remain unsafe. Over 200 workers are reportedly involved in the clearing operations.

To make things worse, both NH-27 and NH-6, the key highways connecting Barak Valley to the rest of Assam are also extremely affected by landslides and heavy flooding, ultimately getting blocked, which makes Silchar isolated from the rest of the state, making road travel risky and almost impossible.

Only option left: Flying — If you can afford it!

As buses have been grounded and trains are either unreliable or unsafe, the next possible method is to take a flight, which now has become a luxury as booking tickets will burn a hole in every person's pocket. Ironically, to travel sky-high, one has to pay an amount equally sky-high.

A Guwahati-Silchar flight, that could only hover between the price range of Rs 4,000-6,500, now soars to Rs 13000 and above, on availability, and that too on a one-hour-long domestic flight in Assam.

A Guwahati–Silchar flight, once a humble Rs 4,000–6,500, has now taken a luxury turn — soaring past Rs 13,000 - that too, if you're lucky enough to find a seat. For a one-hour domestic trip within Assam, that’s not just "sky-high" — it’s practically stratospheric.

What makes this situation worse is the absurd fact that flying out of the country is cheaper than flying across the state. In Assam today, even the sky seems overpriced. Check below:

• Guwahati to Dubai: IndiGo – Rs 13,485 (1 stop)
   
• Guwahati to Bangkok: Air India – Rs 15,215 (1 stop)
   
• Guwahati to Colombo: Air India – Rs 19,198 (1 stop)

Major travel platforms like Yatra.com and MakeMyTrip show that for a July 9 journey, one-way tickets from Guwahati to Silchar are still priced above Rs 13,000 — and that too with 'limited availability'. 

Isn’t it ironic that international travel now feels more accessible than visiting your own hometown? 

What message does this send to students, to families, to the people who make up the spine of Barak Valley’s daily life?

Barak Valley is not just a place on the map. It's home to stories, roots, and dreams. But when going home starts costing more than leaving the country, something is deeply broken in the system.

This is not merely a matter of prices — it is a matter of access. It reflects the alarming pace at which an entire region becomes isolated due to collapsing infrastructure. It highlights the deep-rooted geographical marginalisation that Northeast India has long endured, and the unfortunate reality that even emergency alternatives like flights remain financially out of reach for most.

It should be a basic right to travel home, not a privilege on how much you would want to, or could afford to spend.

First-hand experience:

Two students from Silchar — Swatabdhi Nath and Tahmina Aktar Laskar — faced a similar situation recently which left them overwhelmed. Stuck in Guwahati, the students longed to soon reach the comfort of their respective homes, which unfortunately raised the challenge of a hefty payment, surpassing the usual monthly expenses, and for what? A one-hour-long flight. Absolutely no discounts, no emergency fares — just a huge financial burden during a time of crisis.

With rail lines shut, roads blocked, and airfare shooting up every day — what is a normal person supposed to do to reach home?

What are students, patients, workers, families supposed to do when there’s no way in or out without burning through their entire savings?

While the rest of India talks about bullet trains and expressways, Northeast continues its struggle in identifying whether a student could afford to go home safely or not.

The region does not require sympathies - it requires infrastructure, accessibility and political attention. When the roads fall, the silence that follows is not just of landslides, it’s of systematic neglect.

For now, one can only hope that the authorities take note and that someone — be it the government, the airlines, or disaster response agencies — steps in to ease the burden. Stranded passengers shouldn’t have to choose between waiting indefinitely and paying exorbitantly just to get home. As efforts to clear roads and restore railway tracks continue, those stuck in cities like Guwahati can do little but watch flight prices soar day by day. The wait isn’t just for the skies to clear — it’s for meaningful intervention to finally land.