North East floods: Suresh Prabhu asks Railway officials to ensure smooth transportation of goods

New Delhi: In the wake of floods in the North East, railway minister Suresh Prabhu on Friday asked senior rail officials to work in close coordination with state governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to ensure smooth relief and rescue operations. [caption id=“attachment_2644204” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Suresh Prabhu. PTI[/caption] Prabhu convened a special meeting of Railway Board officials to take stock of the flood situation. He also asked the officials to ensure that drinking water supply, food grains, medicines and healthcare facilities movement for North East is given priority and ensure their smooth transportation by the Railways. He directed the officials to extend possible assistance in repairing roads so smooth connectivity may be provided for rescue and relief. Rail services are fully operational in the states and have not been affected by the floods, said a senior railway ministry official. Railway officials of North Frontier Railways are keeping a watch on the situation and a special control room has been set up, the official said. Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain, who is from Assam, was also present in the meeting. As many as 80 people have lost their lives in the floods that have hit 58 districts in the North East, Union minister Jitendra Singh had said on Thursday. Singh, who reviewed the flood situation in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur with officials of these states, said the damage caused by the rains was “unprecedented”.