The haphazard development of roads and railways without proper study of the soil, has led to disaster, they add
The New Haflong Railway Station buried in debris due to mudslides on May 16, 2022. Photo: Ravishankar Ravi Activists have cited haphazard and unplanned development in Assam’s Dima Hasao district and its headquarters Haflong as being responsible for the recent mudslides that have devastated the area.
They particularly singled out the construction of roads and railway networks in the North Cachar Hills, where the district is located, as being responsible for the scenes being witnessed in the region since May 15, 2022.
Heavy rains in and around Dima Hasao caused mudslides which, in turn, caused the New Haflong Railway Station to be enveloped in mud. A tunnel on the national highway in the nearby town of Maibong is also full of debris.
Debris is also strewn on railway tracks throughout the district. The Barak Valley, one of the three major regions of Assam besides the Brahmaputra Valley and the North Cachar Hills, has been cut off from the rest of the North East due to the damage to rail and road infrastructure.
In view of massive landslide in Meghalaya, movements of passengers & heavy vehicles carrying goods have been severely affected in the Barak Valley. I have requested Hon CM Shri @SangmaConrad to kindly intervene and extend help. He has assured all possible cooperation.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) May 17, 2022
“Five people have died in Haflong alone,” activist Holiram Terang told this reporter. The state government has had to use helicopters to ferry food, medicines and other essentials to the area.
Some 2,200 passengers in two trains were stranded due to the mudslides. Helicopters were used to evacuate 119 old and sick passengers to Silchar in neighbouring Cachar district.
The others had to trek over a damaged rail bridge to get to a rescue train. Helicopters were also used to evacuate 35 railway employees. “Haflong and Dima Hasao are paying the price for unplanned development. There have always been floods in Assam. But something like this is unprecedented,” Terang said.
“The hills of Dima Hasao have been blasted to link the Barak Valley, Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur via rail and road. All this was done using unscientific methods. This is the result,” he added.
The road link was part of the East-West Corridor that connects Saurashtra in Gujarat to Silchar. Similarly, the Lumding-Badarpur rail line was converted into broad gauge.
The composition and carrying capacity of the soil were not assessed before either project. Interestingly, the incidents of mudslides began after the construction started.
Jishnu Baruah, Assam’s chief secretary, said there was a state of emergency in Haflong currently. The administration’s priority will be to get assistance to the residents of the area, he said.
The Northeast Frontier Railway tweeted May 18 that it had begun relief works in the area.
— Northeast Frontier Railway (@RailNf) May 18, 2022
Sushant Talukdar, journalist and environmentalist said the scale of the destruction caused in Dima Hasao and Haflong due to mudslides was a worrying development.
He added that this was just the beginning. If construction activities continue to be undertaken without proper assessment, worse will follow in the future.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.