Guwahati, May 22: Tripura and Mizoram have approached the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to bring essentials and transport fuels via Bangladesh as the rail links have been cut off for the past nine days and the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has cancelled all goods and passenger trains till June end following unprecedented landslides triggered by uninterrupted rains in Assam’s Dima Hasao district.

NFR’s Lumding-Badarpur single line railway route via Dima Hasao’s mountainous district connects Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and the southern part of Assam with the rest of the country.

According to NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Sabyasachi De, in the hill section under Lumding Division all kinds of trains were cancelled till June or until restoration of railway lines, which were disrupted due to the heavy rains and colossal landslides on May 14.

Tripura Food and Civil Supplies Department Director Tapan Kumar Das said that the state government has already approached the External Affairs Ministry to take up the matter with Bangladesh government to bring essentials and transport fuels including petrol via Bangladesh to meet the requirements of the state.

“We can ferry essentials and transport fuels using the Dawki (in West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya) –Bangladesh-Kailashahar (northern Tripura) route. Few years back also the essentials and fuels were transported through the same route,” Das said.

The official said that there are stocks of fuels and essentials in the state now but as the railway authorities have cancelled trains for a longer period, they have undertaken alternative arrangements to meet the requirement of the state.

“Efforts are on to transport essentials, transport fuels and other basic items by road via Assam and Meghalaya. We are in touch with the Assam and Meghalaya governments. But these supplies are not adequate for the longer period,” Das said.

In Aizawl, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs minister K. Lalrinliana also said that the state government is considering the possibility of bringing in essential commodities via Bangladesh.

“We have sought the approval of the External Affairs Ministry for transportation of essential goods through Bangladesh,” the minister said.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters are carrying essentials and fuels from Guwahati to rain and landslide affected areas in Dima Hasao district.

The situation in the hill section of the NFR in Dima Hasao district remained serious on Sunday as intermittent rain continued to batter the area.

“Out of the 56 affected locations, in some less affected locations restoration works have been completed but the work in major affected areas is yet to start due to the inclement weather,” an NFR official said.

The official said that the railway engineers and workers are working on a war footing manner round-the-clock to restore the vital railway lines to reinstate the rail link with Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and southern Assam.