Kolkata, Sept. 4 -- The state government has stepped up relief measures for passengers stranded after land subsidence near Farakka disrupted train services for the second consecutive day, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari directing the Murshidabad and Malda administrations to arrange food, drinking water and accommodation.
"I have directed the DMs of Malda and Murshidabad to provide food packets and drinking water to passengers. If the situation is not normal by tonight (Friday), arrangements will also be made for their accommodation. Where government accommodation is available, it will be used; otherwise, commercial accommodation such as hotels and lodges will be hired by the government," Adhikari said.
The Transport Department deployed 23 additional buses on the Kolkata-Siliguri route and 12 on the Siliguri-Kolkata route on Friday. Additional services were also arranged on the Durgapur-Balurghat, Kolkata-Balurghat and Malda-Kolkata routes. Six special evening buses left Kolkata's New Esplanade Bus Terminus for Siliguri.
The department directed state transport undertakings to deploy buses according to demand and asked district magistrates to coordinate with private operators and prevent unreasonable fare hikes.
The rail disruption followed heavy rainfall in the Farakka area, which caused water to seep through the embankment between the Up and Down lines between New Farakka and Tildanga on the night of September 3. An adjacent pond increased water pressure, causing severe soil loss and softening of the clay-filled ground, resulting in subsidence of the Up track.
Monsoon patrolmen detected the track misalignment, following which railway officials suspended operations on the affected line as a safety measure and rushed emergency teams to the site.
Restoration work began with six piling rigs and around 200 workers. Another 100 local workers and 100 workers from Azimganj in Howrah Division were later deployed. Seven wagons of stone dust were unloaded, 10 more were brought from the Sujnipara monsoon reserve, while another 18 were kept ready at Jamalpur, Bhagalpur and Malda Town for piling and stone-dust packing.
Several Kolkata-North Bengal trains have been cancelled, diverted or regulated, with limited services continuing under speed restrictions, diversions and loco reversals. Eastern Railway (ER) General Manager Gitika Pandey visited the site with senior officials and reviewed the restoration work.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.