The officials on Friday (May 31) informed that the rail and road communication in Assam’s Barak Valley has been severely impacted as the Barak River surged above the danger mark, causing flooding in several areas of Silchar town. This situation has been exacerbated by incessant rainfall in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, officials added.
The railway operations in the area have been disrupted after the railway station in Silchar’s Tarapur locality, situated close to the river, has been engulfed by the rising waters. A spokesperson from the North East Frontier Railway reported that services to and from Silchar, a crucial hub in Barak Valley, have either been canceled or short-terminated.
Trains cancelled in Assam due to floods
The Silchar-Guwahati Express and the corresponding train from Guwahati, along with the Silchar-Rangiya Express and the corresponding train from Rangiya, will remain canceled on Friday and Saturday.
Additionally, six more trains will be canceled on Friday due to high water levels and speed restrictions between Jugijan and Jamunamukh of Lumding division. These include the Guwahati-Mariani BG Express, Guwahati-Lumding Special, Guwahati-Ledo Intercity Express and its corresponding train from Ledo, Dibrugarh-Guwahati Nagaland Express, and Shokhuvi-Naharlagun Donyi Polo Express.
Train services have also been suspended between the New Haflong-Chandranathpur section under Lumding division, with some trains canceled and short-terminated. The Thiruvananthapuram Central-Silchar Express will be short-terminated at Guwahati.
The Sealdah-Agartala Kanchanjunga Express will be short-terminated and remain canceled between Lumding and Agartala. The Agartala-Secunderabad Special will be short-terminated at Guwahati, and both the Bengaluru-Agartala Humsafar Express and the Anand Vihar Terminal-Agartala Rajdhani Express will also be short-terminated at Guwahati. Train services, canceled or short-terminated due to landslides along the Haflong-Badarpur rail route, have yet to be restored, officials said.
Road connectivity disrupted in three districts
Barak Valley’s three districts—Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj—along with Dima Hasao and Hojai, are among the worst hit in the current spate of floods. Road communication in these three districts with other parts of the state and the region has also been disrupted, with vehicles stranded after 20 meters of road on National Highway-6 were washed away by heavy rains in Meghalaya’s Lumslum area.
3.5 lakh people affected in 11 districts
Cachar is the worst-hit, with 112,246 people reeling under floodwaters, followed by 37,000 in Karimganj, 22,058 in Hojai, and 14,308 in Hailakandi, among others. Barak Valley experienced devastating floods in 2022, with Silchar town bearing the brunt.
In severely-hit Dima Hasao district, relentless rain has brought life to a standstill, severely impacting road connectivity throughout the district. The Haflong-Silchar road has been completely cut off after a section was washed away near Harangajao, while the Haflong-Harangajao route is blocked by multiple landslides. The District Disaster Management Authority and Dima Hasao police have issued an advisory against traveling at night, except on the Umrongso-Lanka route.