Assam Floods: Northeast Frontier Railway may take longer to restore rail link in North East

Southern Assam along with three other northeastern states, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur, which have been cut off rail connectivity due to multiple landslides in the Lumding-Badarpur route of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) over the last few days, may remain disconnected for longer as the Railways now has hinted that the restoration process would take a long time.

The CPRO of NFR, Sabyasachi De, informed that continuous inclement weather coupled with the difficult terrain is affecting the restoration work. Also, the actual assessment of damage to railway tracks in this route can be ascertained only after the water level recedes.

De said the restoration work requires a huge quantity of materials, manpower and machines. The movement of heavy machinery and materials is very difficult due to frequent breaches in portions of connecting roads owing to the landslides.

However, the CPRO also informed that NFR is trying to speed up the restoration work by arranging materials from various sources, including from far-flung areas. Once the weather becomes conducive, the restoration work is expected to gain momentum. The restoration works in nearly 12 locations have already been completed.

Meanwhile, the Met department has warned of more rainfall in the northeast for the next four-five days. The weather department has issued a red alert for Assam and Meghalaya, while the northeastern states have been put on orange and yellow alert.

Sanjay O`Neill Shaw, deputy director-general of meteorology at RMC, Guwahati, informed that heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur over Assam and Meghalaya due to strong south-westerly winds from the Bay of Bengal at lower tropospheric levels.