A massive landslide along the Lumding–Badarpur hill section in Assam's Dima Hasao district has brought both rail and road traffic to a grinding halt, snapping critical transport links between southern Assam and the states of Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur.
Triggered by incessant rainfall and slope destabilisation, the landslip—described as "intermittent" and still active—has deposited nearly 50,000 cubic metres of mud and debris across railway lines between New Haflong and Jatinga Lampur, affecting services since Monday afternoon.
The extent of the disruption, which has impacted travel and supply chains across the Northeast, was detailed in a statement issued by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). “As per estimates, around 50,000 cubic metres of muck and stones have come towards the railway retaining wall. At least 30,000 cubic metres need to be cleared so that work on the track can begin. Railway teams are working on a war footing and senior railway officials from Lumding Division and Headquarters are camping at the site to coordinate restoration,” the statement read.
Rail services on the vital hill section remain suspended, and the NFR has confirmed that at least 12 trains have been either cancelled or partially cancelled up to 25 June. No date has been provided for the resumption of services due to the continuing nature of the landslides.
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Officials said the situation worsened while the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was engaged in repair work on National Highway 27, which runs directly above the railway line. A district official from Dima Hasao said: “The NHAI was repairing NH27, which runs above the railway track, when rain triggered a landslide and seepage. Debris from the NH repair covered the railway stretch below. Restoration is in full swing.”
Efforts to restore connectivity have seen a coordinated operation involving NFR, NHAI and state disaster response agencies. A high-level emergency meeting was convened to assess the scale of the damage and expedite recovery.
K.K. Sharma, NFR’s chief public relations officer, confirmed that round-the-clock operations are under way with heavy machinery at the site. “Senior officials are overseeing operations to ensure stabilisation of slopes and debris clearance,” he said.
The disruption has caused widespread inconvenience, especially in Tripura and Barak Valley, where residents are heavily reliant on the Lumding–Badarpur section for goods transport and travel.
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