Tripura: Mishap cause delay in railway expansion

Agartala, July 5: Disruption of rail line due to mishap on Lumding-Badarpur section and monsoon showers have seemed to delay the expansion of railway network in Tripura.

According to Chief Engineer(Construction), North East Frontier Railway B Choudhury, heavy rains have emerged as a major bottleneck in the construction work of rail link between Manu to Ambassa in Northern part of Tripura.

Mr Choudhury has visited the site last week and held meeting with NF Railway officials to review the progress of the ongoing rail construction work in Tripura while called on the state Transport Minister Manik Dey and Parliament member Khagen Das.

He stated that incessant rainfall was hampering the normal pace of construction work and caused landslips at Longthorai Valley tunnel recently. However, supply of cement through rail network has stopped due to mishap at Jatinga in NC Hills last month.

Apart from nature's fury, labourers engaged in digging tunnels have been fighting an uneven battle against malaria, NF Railway officials said here today adding that at least five labourers died of malaria over the past two months and 30 others have been suffering from the disease.

According to plan, rail track between Manu to Ambassa is scheduled to be completed by August 15 next and Agartala will be brought under the country's rail map by January 26 next, as it has already been declared as national project.

UNI