Aug. 20: Floods continued to wreak havoc in Assam, disrupting train services for several hours and washing away a part of a bridge in East Siang district of neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, while incessant rain triggered mudslides in the Garo hills of Meghalaya.
NF Railway sources said a 10-metre track between Chaprakata and Bijni stations under Rangiya division in Assam was washed away by the deluge this morning following which train services, including the Rajdhani Express, were stalled for about five hours.
"The Rajdhani Express was stopped at Patiladaha station, Guwahati-Trivandrum Express at Sorbhog, Kamrup Express at Barpeta Road while the Northeast Express was detained at Rangiya," NF Railway public relations officer Nripen Bhattacharya told The Telegraph.
"Similarly, the Calcutta-Dibrugarh Express was detained at Basugaon while the Alipurduar-Kamakhya Inter-City had to be stopped at Patiladaha. The Guwahati-Bikaner and Brahmaputra Express were held back in Guwahati itself. The services resumed by 2pm after a special train was rushed to the damage site for restoration of the damaged track," Bhattacharya said.
Incessant rain for the past week has hit life in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, disrupting communication between Pasighat and Mebo on National Highway 52 with the approach of the Siku bridge washed away yesterday by the overflowing Siang.
The bridge on the highway is vital as the road connects the entire Mebo subdivision and is also a part of Lower Dibang Valley with its district headquarters Roing.
East Siang deputy commissioner Isha Khosla, along with an official team, rushed to the spot and took stock of situation. Border Roads Organisation officials have been instructed to carry out restoration work on a war footing.
The situation in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Bongaigaon districts of lower Assam worsened today with people shifting to higher areas.
In Kokrajhar, several parts of Kachugaon, Patakata, Dotma, Patgaon, Jharbari, Simbargaon and Kokrajhar town have been affected. The situation is similar in Chirang district.
The district administration has been monitoring the situation and providing relief to people in the affected areas.
The army, meanwhile, has launched relief and rescue operations in lower Assam.
In Bongaigaon, several flood victims today staged a blockade on NH 31 at Rakhaldubi, demanding ration from the administration. Nearly 113 villages have been affected by the floods.
In Dhubri, heavy rain forced transporters to stop plying passengers and goods. Several educational institutions were either closed or wore a deserted look.
In Garo hills, incessant rain over the past couple of days has led to mudslides in different localities. In Upper Chandmary, a portion of the road was washed away near Gandrak waterfalls and at Babupara locality. "There is no report of any casualty so far," said Pravin Bakshi, deputy commissioner of West Garo Hills. He said the disaster management team was put on alert across the district.
On Tuesday, a schoolgirl had gone missing from Asibra village, near Rongram in West Garo Hills.
Road communication has been disrupted across various routes in South Garo Hills, especially along the Tura-Dalu-Baghmara route.
In Mizoram, hundreds of people have been forced to abandon their homes as floodwaters entered eight villages and a portion of a town of Lunglei district. The Khawthlangtluipui river along the Mizoram-Bangladesh border is in spate because of incessant rain for the last three days.
