As roads & rail service come to a halt, price of air tickets in Guwahati- Silchar route skyrockets

May 15: Torrential rains in the last few days has resulted in rise of water level in all the major rivers of the state and several rivers are flowing above the danger level mark at many places in Assam. Barak Valley has been landlocked as both the roads and rail service has come to a halt due to multiple landslides. A look at the damages which have occurred in the railway tracks and National highways reveals that it would take couple of days to repair the same. Meanwhile, the only option available for the people of Barak Valley now is to avail flight services.

“Nero fiddles while Rome burns” goes a popular saying. The truth of this proverb could well be ascertained if one carefully observes the price hike of the tickets by the airlines, especially in the Guwahati- Silchar and Silchar- Guwahati route. Many people of Barak Valley are struck in Guwahati, while the same is in case of those who needs to go to Guwahati for some urgent work. However, the price of air tickets were hiked to such an extent that has gone beyond the reach of the common people. The Airlines seem to wait with eagerness to take the maximum out of the adverse situation, when due to natural calamities road and rail connection gets severed.

On an analysis of various websites offering flight tickets, it became evident that indeed “Nero fiddles while Rome burns”. Here the role of ‘Nero’ is played by the Airliners, as against people who got stranded due to excessive rainfall and multiple landslides in National Highways and rail tracks in the hill section. On 16 & 17 May, there seems to be no direct flight between Guwahati and Silchar. On surfing the popular ticket portals, it came to surface that the price of air ticket on 16 May from Guwahati to Silchar (Air India) was priced at Rs 31,482; whereas, on 17 May, the price was fixed at Rs.28,622 (Air India). However, the Air India flights for these two days were not directly from Guwahati to Silchar. Rather, these would arrive from Guwahati to Silchar via (2 stops) Delhi and Kolkata and the journey time would be 15 hours 20 minutes. The fare of ticket on 18 May by SpiceJet is Rs.11,739.

As regards, flight tickets from Silchar to Guwahati, the airfare was also much higher than the normal. The price of air tickets on 16 May from Silchar to Guwahati was fixed at Rs.11,413 (SpiceJet) and Rs.Rs.38,755 (IndiGo) [2 stop via Kolkata and New Delhi]. On 17 May, the ticket for Silchar to Guwahati by SpiceJet is fixed Rs.11,413, whereas, on 18 May, the fare is Rs.9,713.

It is therefore a grave matter which requires the attention of not only the Civil Aviation Ministry, but also the Government of Assam, the elected representatives from Barak Valley. This grave issue should be brought for immediate discussion by the government with the Airliners so that common people at this juncture of crisis may get some respite.