The disruptions in train services and bad highway conditions badly interrupted the ferrying of transport fuel, essentials and food grains in mountainous Mizoram, officials said on Tuesday.
Railway officials said that trains have been cancelled since August 21 on the Jamira (in Assam’s Hailakandi district)-Bairabi (Mizoram) route as the railway tracks were badly damaged due to the floods and landslides last month.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) officials said that engineers and workers have been working round-the-clock in the flood and landslides-affected sites in Mizoram to restore the railway services at the earliest.
“We are not sure when the passenger as well as goods train services would be restored in Mizoram,” an NFR official said on Tuesday.
Officials and truck drivers separately said that the stretches of National Highway-306 and National Highway-6 in Kolasib district, adjoining Assam, were badly damaged in the recent heavy rains along with landslides and required urgent repair.
Oil tanker and truck drivers have decided to suspend plying of their vehicles from Tuesday through the two national highways citing extremely bad road conditions
The terrible road conditions posed a severe risk to the lives of drivers, and could also lead to oil spills from tankers, Oil tankers and truck drivers observed.
Most filling stations in Aizawl and other cities in Mizoram ran out of stock while prices of essentials went very high due to the dislocation of ferrying transport fuels – petrol and diesel during the past few days.
Meanwhile, the state’s Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department officials however have urged people not to panic and said the state government is taking all measures to repair the road stretches.
Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Monday had discussed the issue with leaders of the Mizoram Commercial Vehicles’ Union.
He had said that recent torrential rain and landslides have severely impacted the state's infrastructure.
People of southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur bear the brunt of floods every year during monsoon while the railway tracks, stations and other infrastructure get damaged due to the flood and landslides during the four-month-long monsoon, lasting from June to September.
The disruptions in train services during monsoon every year cause a major shortage of transport fuels like petrol and diesel and other essential goods in southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur, which are all heavily dependent on fuel, essential items, food grains and other commodities from the outside.
Sri Lankan Navy arrests 32 Tamil fishermen, five boats seized
The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 32 fishermen from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing in Lankan waters.
Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi hails ISRO's century in rocket launches, urges people to dedicate a day for science
Addressing the 119th episode of his monthly radio programme, 'Mann Ki Baat', on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Indian Space Research Organisation, saying it has hit the century in space. Last month, the country witnessed the ISRO's 100th rocket launch.
Mizoram student stabbed to death in Kerala, batchmate arrested
A 22-year-old BTech student from Mizoram was stabbed to death near his college in Thiruvananthapuram. The deceased, Valentine, was a student at Rajadhani Institute of Engineering & Technology, Nagaroor.
Italy PM slams Left's double standards, says when Trump, Meloni, Modi talk, they are called threat to democracy
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has accused left-wing politicians of being "nervous" over former US President Donald Trump's victory, claiming that conservatives are unfairly labelled as a "threat to democracy" while leftist leaders are celebrated for similar global alliances.
NDRF intensifies rescue operation to save 8 trapped in Telangana tunnel
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams on Sunday intensified rescue efforts to save eight persons trapped in an under-construction tunnel after a portion of its roof collapsed in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district on February 22.
Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release after 'humiliating' hostage handovers
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that the release of Palestinian prisoners would be delayed until Hamas ceases its "humiliating ceremonies" during the release of Israeli hostages under the ceasefire deal.
PM Modi on 3-day visit to MP, Bihar, Assam from today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Assam from February 23 to 25 to participate in several developmental projects and inaugurate business summits.
US senators call out China for 'weaponising' UN 1971 resolution, vow support to Taiwan
The United States Senators accused China of subverting United Nations Resolution 2758 in an attempt to isolate Taiwan. The senators proposed a resolution in the Senate reaffirming US support for Taiwan. The resolution opposes China's attempt to prevent Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organisations.