Flood situation improves in Tripura, CM calls for review meet

The overall flood situation has slightly improved in Tripura even as over 40,000 people continue to remain stranded in 189 relief camps across the state, official sources said here today.

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, who visited the worst-hit Kailashahar and Kumarghat subdivisions of Unakoti district yesterday, has called for a review meeting later today with heads of all line departments - PWD, Water Resources, Health and Family Welfare - Sankar Chakraborty, the deputy secretary of Revenue Department, said.

The CM also asked the state officials to reach out to the marooned people with relief materials and medical aids at the earliest, Chakraborty said, adding that two IAF choppers have already been pressed into service to distribute food, water and medicines in "flood-battered" Kailashahar subdivision, where 21,000 people were rendered homeless.

"The NDRF, Assam Rifles, Tripura State Rifles personnel are engaged in providing post-flood relief services and search is still on to find out if there is anybody stranded in the flood-affected areas," he explained.

An official of Northeast Frontier Railway said train services in Lumding - Badarpur section continue to remain suspended as landslides, triggered by heavy rain, damaged the tracks and tunnels on that route.

"At present, work is in progress to reinstate services in the affected locations. As per preliminary estimates, the total restoration work is likely to take 2-3 days," he added.