Assam minister assures rail restoration by Sunday, alternative NH planned in Jatinga-Lampur

Assam’s Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare, Nandita Garlosa, on Thursday visited the landslide-affected areas along the Jatinga-Lampur stretch of the Lumding-Badarpur hill section of Northeast Frontier Railway and National Highway-27 between Haflong and Silchar.

Speaking during her visit, Minister Garlosa said that the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is working on a war footing to restore the damaged railway tracks. However, recurring rainfall at night has been triggering fresh mudslides, slowing down the restoration process. Despite the challenges, railway authorities are working round the clock to resume services and have expressed hope that train movement on the Lumding-Badarpur hill line may resume by this Sunday.

Regarding the landslide-hit section of NH-27 between Jatinga and Lampur, the minister informed that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is considering the construction of an alternative route. A team of experts from IIT Guwahati has already surveyed the area and suggested a new alignment for the proposed road. The minister confirmed that the alternative route would be constructed based on the recommendations provided by the IIT team.

The inspection highlights the government’s urgency in addressing both rail and road connectivity issues in the Dima Hasao region, which has been severely affected by heavy rains and landslides.