Northeast floods: Indian Railways joins relief, rescue operation

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Friday asked senior rail officials to work in close coordination with Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to ensure smooth relief and rescue operations.

Prabhu convened a special meeting of Railway Board officials to take stock of the flood situation. He also asked the officials to ensure that drinking water supply, food grains, medicines and healthcare facilities movement for North East is given priority and ensure their smooth transportation by the Railways.

He directed the officials to extend possible assistance in repairing roads so smooth connectivity may be provided for rescue and relief. Rail services are fully operational in the states and have not been affected by the floods, said a senior Railway Ministry official.

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Railway officials of North Frontier Railways are keeping a watch on the situation and a special control room has been set up, the official said. Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain, who is from Assam, was also present in the meeting.

As many as 80 people have lost their lives in the floods that have hit 58 districts in the Northeast, Union minister Jitendra Singh had said on Thursday. ingh, who reviewed the flood situation in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur with officials of these states, said the damage caused by the rains was "unprecedented".

Rijiju, Khandu undertake aerial survey of flood-hit Arunachal

Union minister Kiren Rijiju and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday undertook an aerial survey of flood-hit districts in the state where all major roads and highways have been damaged by landslides due to heavy rains.

The minister of state for home, who is leading a high-level central team comprising senior officials of the NDRF, the NDMA and the Niti Aayog, took stock of the situation in the entire state along with Khandu, deputy speaker of the Assembly Tumke Bagra and MLA Kaling Moyong.

They undertook an aerial survey of flood-affected Bambuk, Mebo, Nausai, Niyun and Sagalee areas where most parts have been either inundated or damaged because of landslides. Floods and landslides triggered by incessant rain in the last couple of days have cut off large areas, including many district headquarters, in the state from the rest of the country, officials said.

Rijiju said, "Though the entire state has suffered and borne the brunt of rains and landslides which have damaged highways and roads, I have asked the authorities to restore the roads within a month."

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