Several northeastern states, including Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, & the southern part of Assam, have been left isolated from the rest of the country as railway tracks remain waterlogged and damaged after landslides triggered by incessant rain following Cyclone Remal, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
An official from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) disclosed that railway tracks were submerged or rendered impassable at ten locations in the New Haflong-Bandarkhal section under the Lumding division in southern Assam’s Dima Hasao district, a crucial connecting route to south Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram.
Efforts to restore rail services are underway, but adverse weather conditions have hampered progress. The NFR had to cancel numerous express, passenger, and goods trains bound for the affected regions since Tuesday. Passenger and goods train services have been disrupted in the area since April 25 due to heavy landslides damaging railway tracks in the Jatinga Lumpur-New Harangajao section under the Lumding division, following heavy rainfall in the mountainous Dima Hasao district.
Recognizing the challenges posed by damaged railway tracks and unstable soil in the region, the NFR recently operated a limited number of trains during the daytime on the hilly route and regulated long-distance and express trains. The disruptions have led to a significant shortage of transport fuel, including petrol and diesel, and other essential goods in southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur. The heavy rain and landslides have also impacted highway connectivity, further exacerbating the situation for states heavily reliant on external supplies of fuel, essential items, food grains, and other commodities.
