Rail link work races against time

Restoration of the Lumding-Badarpur metre gauge rail link, which snapped on June 25 due to a major accident, may take at least three months.

Restoration of the Lumding-Badarpur metre gauge rail link, which snapped on June 25 due to a major accident, may take at least three months. Meanwhile, the possibility of acute shortage of essential foodgrains is looming large on Mizoram and Tripura and Assam8217;s Barak Valley for whom the rail link is a lifeline.

8220;Restoration work has begun in full swing, but since it was a major accident, it is not likely to be operational within three months,8221; a spokesperson of the Northeast Frontier Railway said on Wednesday.

The Lumding-Badarpur section, more popularly known as the Assam Hill Section, snapped on June 25 when seven bogies of a goods train carrying rice fell off bridge number 108 8212; between Dihakho and Mupa 8212;about 52 km from Lumding. Seven persons, including the driver of the goods train, died on the spot. One of the six pillars of the bridge also gave way due to impact of the

derailment.

While repair and restoration of traffic on the metre-gauge hill section is not likely to resume in the next three months, the Centre has already drawn up an alternative action plan to avert any crisis of food and other essential commodities in the two states and the Barak Valley.

It was only on Tuesday that the Prime Minister8217;s Office convened a high-level review meeting and took stock of the situation. An action plan to run 200 trucks between Guwahati and Silchar in the Barak Valley via Shillong has been also drawn up to tackle the situation.

Giving details of the importance of the hill section, the Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson told The Indian Express that the railways on an average runs six trains everyday between Lumding and Badarpur to transport essential commodities.

These include four goods trains that carry about 2,880 tonnes of foodgrains 8212;mostly rice, one rake of petroleum products including petrol, kerosene and diesel. One train transports sugar, cement, bitumen and raw material for the HPC paper mill at Panchgram everyday.

Monsoon problems

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GUWAHATI: Officials are worried that the alternative plan to move 200 truckloads of foodgrains and other essential commodities might lead to more problems, especially because NH 40 8212;which links Guwahati with Silchar in the Barak Valley and subsequently Mizoram and Tripura 8212; is already working beyond its capacity.

8220;There is already maximum traffic on the NH 40. Moreover, with the monsoon already on, traffic on the highway that passes through Meghalaya might come to a halt any moment in the event of a landslide,8221; an official of NHAI said.