The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), which operates in the northeastern states and parts of West Bengal and Bihar, has taken a series of measures to ensure the smooth running of trains during the rainy season.
Every year during monsoon, several northeastern states, especially Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, and southern Assam, remain cut off from the rest of the country for weeks owing to landslides, waterlogging, and damage to railway tracks, leading to hardships for the people of the region.
NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Sabyasachi De said the authorities have formulated a detailed strategy for the safety of railway tracks during the monsoon.
As part of the preparations, collection of materials at sensitive places, cleaning drainage systems, waterways of bridges, and marking the danger levels on the bridges have been completed, he said.
The NFR has also deployed patrolling teams to keep a check on more than 6,400 Km of railway tracks in its jurisdiction for any defect that may arise due to heavy rainfall.
He said that in addition to patrolling teams, stationary watchmen have also been appointed in the sensitive areas, i.e., sites prone to landslides, and bridges where water is flowing near danger levels.
De said that despite precautions, there can be occasions when bridges are washed out, embankments are breached, along with landslides.
To face such a situation and to carry out restoration within the minimum possible time, materials like boulders, sand, sandbags, various pre-fabricated components of bridges, etc., are being loaded in wagons and placed at the strategic locations, he said.
The CPRO said the monsoon season is quite challenging as NFR operates in a difficult terrain close to the foothills of the lower Himalayan ranges, carved by turbulent streams, and fed by heavy rainfall reaching up to about 7,000 mm in a year.
The Southwest monsoon period normally starts in mid-May and continues till mid-October except in the mountainous Lumding division, where the monsoon starts in mid-April.
Bio-village 2.0 project to be executed in 5 villages of Tripura’s Khowai district
In a significant step towards sustainable development, the state science and technology minister Animesh Debbarma on Saturday launched bio-village 2.0 project in atleast 5 villages in Tulasikhar R D Block in Khowai district.
Tripura: Congress protests against Bangladesh embankment
Seeking the Union government’s intervention, the opposition Congress on Saturday organised a demonstration along the India-Bangladesh border areas in northern Tripura’s Unakoti district to protest the construction of an embankment by the neighbouring country along the boundary.
TRIPURA: Chief Secretary J K Sinha inaugurates 15th National Voters’ Day
Along with the rest of the nation, Tripura on Saturday celebrated 15th National Voters’ Day. The main function was held here at Agartala Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan on Saturday morning.
Two youths from Bihar held in Tripura with sophisticated revolver
Ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, Tripura Police arrested two youths hailing from Bihar with a sophisticated revolver, officials said on Saturday.
16 Bangladeshi nationals held; Assam Police push back 6
Ten Bangladesh nationals were arrested in Meghalaya and Tripura while 6 infiltrators from the neighbouring country were apprehended in Assam and later pushed back to their country by Assam Police, officials said on Friday.
Tripura CM launches startup policy to empower youth
To empower youths, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday launched the ‘Tripura Startup Policy-2024’, under which financial support would be extended to entrepreneurs engaged in Information Technology (IT) and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES).