Guwahati: Torrential rainfall and landslides in the past few days have eroded sections of roads and railway tracks in Assam’s Dima Hasao district affecting road and rail connectivity to the Barak Valley region of the state, officials informed on Sunday.
Seventeen trains were cancelled/partially cancelled due to damage to tracks and bridges at 26 locations on a 76-km stretch and two trains were suspended, which left thousands of passengers stranded. Buses and helicopters were pressed into service to rescue stranded people.
District officials informed that all national and state highways in the district have been affected due to rain and landslides and there’s no electricity and internet connectivity in many areas. Bodies of three people killed in landslides on Saturday were recovered on Sunday.
“Efforts to evacuate 1245 passengers from the 15616 Silchar-Guwahati passenger train stranded at Ditokcherra is still underway. Many crossed a damaged bridge on foot and were sent by another train to Silchar. Nearly 200 passengers who were not in a position to cross the bridge on foot are being airlifted by Indian Air Force helicopters,” informed Sabyasachi De, CPRO, Northeastern Frontier Railway (NFR) at 6:00 pm on Sunday.
“Around 1400 passengers from the 15615 Guwahati-Silchar passenger train were stranded at New Halflong. We employed 4 buses to take most of these passengers to Maibong from where they are being taken to Guwahati by train. Another train is ready at Maibong to ferry the other passengers who are still being evacuated from New Halflong,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“Around 1400 passengers from the 15615 Guwahati-Silchar passenger train were stranded at New Halflong. We employed 4 buses to take most of these passengers to Maibong from where they are being taken to Guwahati by train. Another train is ready at Maibong to ferry the other passengers who are still being evacuated from New Halflong,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Photos and videos made available by NFR showed that train tracks were damaged at many locations by flood waters. Officials say it will take several days to restore connectivity completely.
“We will be able to give a better picture of the evacuation process and the damages caused by late Sunday evening when latest reports from the district are available. Besides Dima Hasao, flooding was reported from five other districts of the state, but the situation there is not as bad,” said GD Tripathi, CEO, Assam State Disaster Management Authority.
According to Dima Hasao officials, 30 villages in the district have been affected by heavy rainfall and landslides since May 13. The national highway connecting district headquarter Halflong to Silchar in Barak Valley has been damaged at many places due to landslides.
“Road communication between Halflong and Ditokcherra and also between Ditokcherra and Silchar has been disrupted. Efforts are underway to repair roads and clear the landslides but heavy rainfall is affecting work,” Rikki B Phukan, district disaster management officer, Dima Hasao, said.