Guwahati: Experts from North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) are using drones and satellite data for conducting rapid damage assessment of railway tracks, stations, and other assets of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in south Assam’s Dima Hasao district.
NESAC is a subsidiary of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Due to unprecedented landslides triggered by heavy rain since May 13, massive damage has been caused to stations and railway tracks at over 58 locations in NFR’s Lumding-Badarpur single line railway route via Dima Hasao.
This railway line connects Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Barak valley with the rest of the country.
Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials said that a team of specialists from Umiam (Meghalaya)-based NESAC is doing rapid damage assessment in Dima Hasao using drones and satellite data to plan post-disaster activities and restoration of the damaged lines.
In many places, due to heavy rain, the soil from the railway tracks got washed away and huge landslides covered the tracks and other railway assets.
According to NF Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Sabyasachi De, in the hill section under Lumding Division, all trains have been cancelled till June or until the restoration of the railway lines.
He said that railway engineers and workers are working on a war footing to restore the rail links.
The NF Railway’s Lumding-Badarpur single line railway route via Dima Hasao is vital for ferrying goods, fuel, and passengers to and from Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and southern Assam’s three districts – Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakhandhi.