Over 180 cargo trucks stranded in Manipur due to highway shutdown

IMPHAL — A standstill on a key highway in Manipur has left over 180 cargo trucks stranded in Jiribam town of Manipur for the past three days.

The blockade, initiated by the All Jiribam Road Transport Drivers’ Union (AJRTDU), began on July 22 to protest the deplorable condition of the National Highway-37 (Imphal-Silchar).

As of Wednesday morning, 183 trucks, including 91 oil tankers, 69 LPG carriers, and 22 carrying other essential goods, were stuck in Jiribam, located about 220 km west of Imphal along the Assam-Manipur border, an official source said.

According to AJRTDU functionaries, the move to suspend the movement of trucks was initiated to pressure authorities, specifically the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), to prioritise road repairs.

Movement will resume when the repair works are completed, they asserted.

The National Highway-37 has become the primary supply route to the state, especially the Imphal valley, as transporters avoid the alternative NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) due to safety concerns in the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district, since outbreak of violence in Manipur.

The increased traffic, coupled with inadequate maintenance, has led to the current crisis.