Imphal: Two security convoys escorting 300 loaded vehicles to Imphal are stranded on the severely damaged National Highway-37 linking Imphal and Silchar in Manipur’s Noney district.
Despite 80 percent of a Rs 1,300 crore upgrade fund having been spent, the Transporters’ and Drivers’ Council (TDC) is threatening to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against NHIDCL over the highway’s abysmal condition.
The two convoys left Jiribam carrying 109 fuel tankers and 191 goods trucks but are now stranded in Noney district due to treacherous mud and deteriorating road conditions.
Meanwhile, 150 loaded vehicles from Jiribam and 225 previously stranded trucks successfully reached Imphal on July 9.
Due to a shortage of security escorts, no empty trucks or tankers will travel from Imphal to Jiribam. However, two security convoys escorting loaded vehicles will depart from Jiribam tomorrow.
In 2022, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) sanctioned Rs 1,300 crore to widen and upgrade a 203-km stretch of NH-37 into an all-weather road.
According to TDC president Hijam Ranjit, Rs 1,040 crore (80 percent of the total budget) has already been released and spent.
Despite this significant investment, the highway remains in a dilapidated condition, with knee-deep mud in several stretches, particularly at Kaiphundai, Shantikhunou, Barak, Nungba, Rengpang, and Irang.
Frustrated by the poor execution of the project and alleged negligence, the TDC is preparing to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) in court.
While NHIDCL has blamed the deteriorating road conditions on increased traffic following the May 2023 conflict, the TDC has strongly refuted the claim.
According to the TDC, the daily vehicle count has not exceeded 700, a volume that highways in neighbouring states such as Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura handle with ease.
What should be a four- to five-hour journey now takes several days. NHIDCL’s claim that the entire project will be completed by December 2026 has been met with deep skepticism by transporters.
The TDC has demanded that NHIDCL immediately carry out repairs according to standard specifications, warning that legal action is imminent if there is no sincere progress on the ground.
Meanwhile, police said security forces continue to conduct search operations and area domination exercises in fringe and vulnerable areas across the districts.
The movement of 675 vehicles carrying essential items along NH-37 has been ensured.
Strict security measures have been put in place at all vulnerable locations, and security convoys are being provided along sensitive stretches to ensure the free and safe movement of vehicles.
A total of 114 nakas/checkpoints have been set up across different districts of Manipur, both in the hill and valley areas.