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...

GUWAHATI, July 24 ? There is no change in the overall flood situation in the State. The current wave of the floods, which started on June 24 last completed its 31st day today. Rail and road communication between upper and lower Assam remained snapped for the sixth day even as some attempts have been made by the authorities today to send essential items to some of the upper Assam areas from the city via Mangaldoi. Around twelve million people in 10,067 villages in all the 27 districts of the State have so far been affected by the current wave of floods. The flood has claimed 135 human lives...

AGARTALA, July 23 ? Landlocked Tripura was again cut off from the rest of the country following submerging of a large portion of NH 44, Tripura?s lifeline, at Badarpur in Assam due to incessant rains in the last 24 hours, official sources said. River Barak in Assam was flowing much above the danger mark due to heavy rains in the last two days causing serious threat to NH-44 which connects Tripura with the rest of the country. After clearing of the debris at Sonarpur in Meghalaya by Border Road Task Force personnel on Wednesday, hundreds of Meghalaya and Guwahati bound vehicles had started...

DIBRUGARH, July 23 ? It is stock taking time in the Dibrugarh district, now that the second wave of floods has receded. According to official figures released here, the damages to public property like roads etc alone account for Rs 10.83 crore in the Dibrugarh district. The worst affected are PWD roads, with damages calculated at Rs 3.02 crore, while rural roads maintained by the DRDA would require Rs 75 lakh to be repaired. According to department-wise damage figures, the E&D department in the district needs Rs 2.90 crore to repair dykes and ring bunds that have been affected by floods. The...

NEW DELHI, July 23 ? In a significant development, yet another militant outfit of the North-east, Achik National Volunteers? Council (ANVC) of Meghalaya today came overground by signing ceasefire agreement with the Union Government. The peace pact between the Union Government and the ANVC, which has a strong following in Garo Hills, was pending since last year when the outfit expressed its desire to hold talks with the Centre. Since then several rounds of preliminary talks between the representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and ANVC were held.

The formal agreement to sign the...