GUWAHATI, July 24 ? The suspension of rail services due to floods has seriously affected a large number of people on their way to various places in upper Assam. Along with passenger traffic, the transportation of goods ? bulk and perishable cargo in particular ? has also been badly hampered.
The Guwahati rail station wore a very different look today with stranded passengers occupying the platforms and the main hall. Although the official announcement of rail services being suspended was issued on Friday, there has been no rail service to Upper Assam since July 20, said a railway source. Among the cancelled trains are the Rajdhani Express, the Brahmaputra Express, the Kamrup Express, and the Inter City Express, which together carry a substantial number of passengers in this route.
Some of the passengers at the Guwahati Railway Station voiced their grievances against the NF railway authorities. ?They know how vital the rail link is, why could not they protect it in the first place?? enquired Namdeo Sharda Prasad of Tinsukia. Mantu Gohain of Dibrugarh, however, said that the railway authorities have provided free food to the stranded passengers, a gesture that he appreciated.
A serious problem has also emerged over the transportation of goods to areas such as Dimapur, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. According to a railway official speaking on condition of anonymity, about ten goods trains ply between these places and Guwahati
everyday. ?Suddenly all the commodities have to be transported by road, and this is a time consuming process,? he said. The fact that road connection is also unreliable in the present situation has further complicated matters.
He further revealed that the running of trains has been halted due to major breaches between Jamunamukh, and Jogijan about 136 km from Guwahati, and between Ajjary and Dharamtul about 83 km from Guwahati. A senior railway official describing the breach between Jamunamukh and Jogijan said that about half-a-kilometre of the rail track has been damaged, and some essential construction materials are being brought from Malda. About three hundred railway personnel are presently engaged in the repair work, which is likely to be completed around August 1.
Meanwhile, reports of the Saraighat bridge being damaged by flood has caused widespread apprehension among people. The PTI in a news item filed from the city at 16.06 hours reported, ?according to official sources, heavy erosion by the mighty river Brahmaputra has led to loose soil resulting in cracks in the eleventh pillar of the bridge, connecting Guwahati with the rest of the North East, forcing the Kamrup district administration to stop plying of heavy vehicles.?
When asked about the report, NF railway officials denied that the bridge, which is considered a vital link to the North East, has been damaged. ?There has been a small cavity beside the approach road, and railway personnel have carried out repairs,? said a railway official engaged at the spot. The DC Kamrup (Metro) has also confirmed that repair works were duly performed, and there exists no risk to the bridge.
He further added that road communication to some parts of the State has been re-established via Mangaldoi from today morning, even as a stretch of the NH 37 continues to remain under water near Dharamtul. Among the vehicles that have left Guwahati are some carrying foodstuff and relief aid to areas, which were previously cut off from the city.
Meanwhile, train service in the Lumding-Badarpur Hill section continues to be affected by landslides. At present, landslides at six places have brought train traffic to a standstill. It may be mentioned here that landslides have impeded train service in this section for the past three months.