Flood disrupts rail traffic, situation steadying

Guwahati, Aug 2 (UNI) Railway traffic was severely affected by flood in Assam today even as the overall situation showed marginal improvement with the sun coming up in many parts of the state after incessant rain for the past 18 days.

Meanwhile, the situation in lower Assam continued to be grim after Bhutan released water on Tuesday night. The toll had risen to 20 with an incident of police firing also reported yesterday in Barpeta district over relief distribution though none was killed.

The Brahmaputra and many of its major tributaries flowed over the red mark, though water had come below the danger level in a few gauge stations after the rivers were in spate for the past several days all through the state.

A Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesperson informed that due to breaches in several places in the railway tracks, train services on the Alipurduar-Siliguri junction section (via Hasimara-Binnaguri- Chaisa) had been diverted to the New Cooch Behar-Dhupguri route.

The trains affected were mostly bound for Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore and similar routes. Northern parts bound trains were not affected.

Top NFR officials had rushed to the locations and the situation was likely to improve by tonight. However, normal traffic along the route could be possible only after August 9, provided the flood situation did not worsen further.

Flood water had also washed away 30 mt of railway tracks in Dhemaji district, even as the district continued to be cut off since last month.

Meanwhile, the Brahmaputra continued flowing above the danger level at gauge stations in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Neamatighat, Goalpara, Dhubri and Tezpur.

The Birhidehing was also still above the red mark in Khowang in Dibrugarh district.

The Subansiri at Badatighat in North Lakhimpur district, the Dikow and Desang in Sibsagar and Dhansiri at Golaghat town had receded and were flowing below the danger level today.

However, the Dhansiri was flowing above the red mark at Numaligarh in Golaghat district.

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