Food & oil supplies to Mizoram hit by floods in neighbouring states

Flood and landslides triggered by incessant rains in neighbouring Assam and Meghalaya have hit oil and food-grain supplies to Mizoram.

According to officials, there is nothing to worry about as the government is making all-out efforts to bring in supplies from other states.

Long queues of vehicles were seen in filling stations in several parts of the state since Wednesday as the state is fast running out of fuel stock.

The government had on Monday ordered rationing on the purchase of petrol for two-wheelers and light motor vehicles.
The ceiling for two-wheelers was fixed at 5 litres and 10 litres for light motor vehicles.

State food, civil supplies, and consumer affairs director Ramdinliani said that restrictions were imposed on the sale of petrol to ensure equal distribution and that the filling stations are not dry at this critical time.

She, however, said that people need not worry about and should not resort to panic buying as the oil supply is still coming in from Assam and the state government is looking for an alternative to bring in more supplies.

She said that the government has begun transportation of fuel from Guwahati due to insufficient stock in Silchar’s Ramnagar.

The state as of now has sufficient stock of diesel, she said. She said that the government is also making massive efforts to prevent the clandestine sale of fuel through the black market.

As regards good grains, Ramdinliani said that there is enough rice stock in the state as of now.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) will transport rice by road after the railway line linked to Mizoram has been snapped due to massive landslides in Assam, she added.

Surface links to Assam’s Barak Valley and Dima Hasao district and neighbouring states of Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur remained snapped as incessant rains triggered landslides and washed off roads as well as railway tracks in multiple locations of Assam and Meghalaya.

Landslides in different locations in Assam’s Dima Hasao district disrupted road as well as rail connectivity.

Landslides in multiple locations of Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district also cut off-road communication to Barak valley, Mizoram, and vital parts of the other two northeastern states.