Guwahati: Despite the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) resuming goods train services to Khongsang in Manipur, the state continues to grapple with a potential food shortage.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has yet to commence the transportation of food grains to the state, leaving many districts with critically low stock levels.
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Railway services to Jiibam and Khongsang were suspended in August due to severe landslides, track damage, and tunnel blockages. This disruption halted the FCI’s ability to transport food grains via rail. However, on Thursday, the NFR successfully resumed goods train services to Khongsang, with a freight train carrying essential commodities reaching its destination.
Despite this development, the FCI has not initiated the transportation of food grains, raising concerns about potential shortages. As of November 21st, several FCI depots in Manipur are reporting dangerously low stock levels.
The Sangaiprou depot in Imphal West district, for instance, has only 13.94% of its total utilization capacity remaining, equivalent to a mere 17 days of stock sufficiency. Similarly, Thoubal depot has 9.6% capacity (5 days’ stock), Churachandpur depot has 5.30% capacity (6 days’ stock), and Sawombung depot in Imphal East district has 4.6% capacity (9 days’ stock).
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If the FCI fails to expedite the transportation of food grains to Khongsang, districts like Churachandpur, Thoubal, Imphal West, and Imphal East could face severe food shortages.
Local authorities and residents are urging the FCI to take immediate action to address this pressing issue and ensure a steady supply of food grains to the state.