Manipur landslide: CM asks railway authorities to relook at construction

Guwahati: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the state government will ask railway authorities to reassess the railway project following the massive landslide in Manipur’s Noney district, considering the soil condition in the state’s hill regions. 

The death toll due to the massive landslide at a railway construction site in Manipur’s Noney district rose to 17 on Friday, after 9 more bodies were recovered from the debris. The incident took place at Tupul yard railway construction camp on Wednesday night.

In an exclusive interview with EastMojo, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said, “This massive landslide at Noney district is the worst natural disaster. Rescue operations are going on in full swing, but we have not been able to reach the spot due to continuous rains and landslides. The NDRF, SDRF and army personnel have tried to reach some part of the area since yesterday and recovered eight bodies yesterday and rescued 18 people. Nine more bodies have been recovered today. More than 50 people are still missing.”

The Chief Minister also thanked Prime Minister Modi for personally reviewing the entire situation of the state. “The (advanced) equipment to find out the location of the bodies, which have been sent by the centre, will be arriving soon. It will then be easy for us to recover the bodies,” he said.

Singh said he believed the landslide would delay the task of railways arriving in the state capital by 2013. “Manipur’s soil quality is very soft. Since such as disaster has taken place, the railway authority should relook and reinvestigate as far the construction in the area is concerned,” he told EastMojo. 

Singh stressed that for now, however, all focus would be on rescue operations. 

Also read: Manipur Landslide: 9 more bodies pulled out of debris, toll reaches 17