• NET Web Desk

Massive landslides and flash floods have left a trail of destruction along Dima Hasao – the lone hill station at Assam, forcing a multi-agency operation to safeguard the major tourist hotspot.

Given the magnitude of the disaster, officials are unsure when normalcy will be restored in Dima Hasao.

Although, dilapidated stretch links are scheduled to be repaired within coming weeks, train services between Dima Hasao, Barak Valley, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur and the rest of the country is slated to resume from July.

According to the Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway – Sabyasachi De, “the rehabilitation project is well underway. We’ve given a deadline of June 30 for completion, and we hope to resume train service on July 1”.

As per PTI report, although landslides were reported at 58 locations along the railway alignment. The two places of devastation which grabbed attention included – mud-filled New Haflong railway station, where trains were derailed and submerged, and a portion of track suspended in the air with earth beneath washed away.

The road network to Dima Hasao was also disrupted, with streets filled with mud, stones, and slash. Despite the fact, that certain sections have been partially reopened and tunnels have been cleaned, a senior official with the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) estimates that complete restoration will take more than a week.

The Assam Chief Minister – Himanta Biswa Sarma met with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Chairperson – Alka Upadhyaya to address the road situation in Dima Hasao.

Another major problem, according to officials, is restoring cell communications in the affected areas.