Agartala/Silchar, May 22 (IANS): Road and rail traffic was disrupted in southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and western Manipur by incessant rain and landslides, officials said here on Saturday.
Tripura has been cut off from the rest of the country since Friday as its lifeline -- NH-8 -- was badly damaged in adjoining southern Assam.
A Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official said in Silchar: “Due to torrential rain during the past several days, coupled with heavy landslides, rail services have been disrupted in southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and western Manipur.”
He said that railway workers were working round-the-clock to clear the rubble in many places in Assam’s Dima Hasao district. “Huge mudslides together with boulders covering a large portion of the tracks at Fidhing and other places are being cleared.”
NFR chief public relations officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma said four major trains running between Guwahati and Silchar, including Silchar-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express and the Silchar-New Delhi via Guwahati Poorvottar Sampark Kranti Express, were cancelled till the tracks were cleared.
The railway lines and the national highways from Guwahati pass through southern Assam to connect landlocked Tripura’s capital Agartala, Mizoram and western Manipur with the rest of India. These States are heavily dependent on the Railways for the supply of food grain, fertilisers, petroleum products, construction material and other commodities. The 585-km NH-8 is the only road link between Tripura and the rest of the country via Assam and Meghalaya.
Incessant rainfall hit Mizoram, 2 killed in building collapse
Aizawl, May 22 (NNN): The incessant rainfall that continued from last Tuesday has hit several part of Mizoram causing damage to lands, road and buildings. Some paddy fields and fisheries at Saihaipui and Phainuam villages in Mizoram-Assam border Kolasib district were submerged by flood due heavy rains, sources said.
The heavy rainfalls also caused landslide at several places across the state. The National Highway 54 between Saihai and Lawngtlai was blocked on Friday due to landslide and no vehicles could pass along this road till Sunday when this report is filed. Apart from this, there were occurrences of mudslide at several places between Aizawl and Kawnpui on the national highway 54 via Sairang road. A bridge over Tlawng river at Bairabi was also collapsed on Sunday due to heavy rainfall, sources said. In another tragic incident caused by continuous rainfall, a women and her daughter were died when a building collapsed at Zonuam locality on Saturday evening.
Rains cause landslides, river flooding in Manipur
Imphal May 22 (IANS): Torrential rains in the past few days triggered landslides, flooding of rivers and inundated low lying areas in Manipur's hill districts.
Tamenglong district has been cut off since road communication has been disrupted, officials told IANS on Sunday.
Many residence are facing scarcity of rice and other consumer items.
Vehicles are stranded as multiple landslides have blocked the roads.
The Border Road Organisation and Public Works Department are yet to clear the debris in the national and state highways.
Officials warned of more landslides as heavy rains continued. Various items cannot be transported from Assam as the NH 37 is blocked.
Legalised border trade at Moreh is suspended as the Trans Asian highway is breached and depressed at many places following heavy rains in Tengnoupal sub division. The tract was damaged in earthquake and heavy downpour in January.
Flash floods have overflowed a number of fish farms in Bishunupur district incurring heavy losses to farmers.
The rivers in Thoubal district overflowed and flooded several residential areas. The Thoubal river is also running above the warning level.
Schools, market places and other low lying areas in and around Imphal are flooded.
