Restoration of rail track in Assam to take time, will fuel crisis in Tripura worsen? Tripura Govt writes to Railway Minister

Tripura has been facing a fuel shortage for almost a week now. Fears are, the state might be staring at a shortage of other essentials too if the disruption in

Railway officials overseeing the restoration work of the fractured rail track between Jatinga Lampur and New Harangajao in Assam’s Dima Hasao district said on Wednesday that it will take a little longer to fix the tracks and restore movement of goods trains back to normal.

This might be a cause of further concern for Tripura as the state is already facing a fuel shortage. The worry now is that the state might soon be hit by a shortage of other essential goods if the disruption in the movement of goods trains continue for longer.

Restoration work is underway in full swing and the Railways have employed hundreds of workers to fix the track. But the terrain and the soil condition in the Jatinga area is posing challenges to the track restoration work.

The road and rail connectivities were snapped and the train track was damaged last month following heavy rains. The track repair and restoration work has been going on since April 25.

Divisional Railway Manager, Prem Ranjan Kumar informed that for permanent restoration of the track, more time would be required.

He also informed that today a goods train was allowed to pass but the movement once again triggered the sinking of the tracks forcing the Railways to stop any further movement of goods trains.

Kumar informed that to find a lasting solution to the issue, geo-scientific research would be carried out soon by a retired geo-scientist.

Talking about some of the challenges that the restoration team is facing, Kumar said that bringing in the right material for the restoration is one of them.

If the restoration work takes longer then it’s not just Tripura but even Mizoram and places in Assam’s Barak Valley might face shorts of fuel and other essentials.

Faced with the fuel shortage, Tripura has put a cap on the purchase of fuel. Fuel worth Rs 200 only has been allowed for two-wheelers daily. The amount is Rs 500 a day for cars and Rs 1000 for trucks and buses.

The Tripura government has requested the intervention of the Union Railway Ministry to assist in transporting fuel to the State.

In a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha has asked for necessary steps to be taken amid the crisis the state is facing.

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