Tripura cut off; to ration petrol, diesel

The Tripura government decided to ration petrol, diesel and cooking gas from Thursday as the state remained cut off from the rest of the country for the fourth consecutive day due to landslides triggered by heavy rains on the vital NH 44.

Tripura Food and Civil Supply Minister Gopal Das told reporters that a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar decided to start rationing of petrol, diesel and cooking gas as trucks carrying petroleum goods were stranded in Assam and Meghalaya due to landslides on the NH 44, the life line of the state.

The minister said the stock of essential commodities in the state was satisfactory and the people should not panic over shortage.

Official sources said the approach area of the bridge at Sonarpur in Jayantiya Hill, which was severely damaged by landslide and erosion on the Meghalaya side, would take three to four days to be restored.

The landslides on the NH 44 connecting Tripura with the rest of the country were being cleared by the General Reserve Engineering Force of the army, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the flood situation in Dharmanagar sub-division of North Tripura district has improved with the waters receding and the people sheltered in different relief camps beginning to return home, the sources added.