Imphal: Violence along National Highway 202 has turned routine travel into a life-threatening ordeal for people in Manipur’s Ukhrul and Kamjong districts. Residents are avoiding the primary route due to persistent militant attacks. The standard trip to Imphal once took four hours. Now, commuters gamble on a hazardous, six-hour detour through the Ramva-Napetpali corridor.
The alternate path is a single-lane road built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. It snakes through Shokvao, Lungphu, Shingta, Marou, Shingkap, Tangkhul Hundung, Nongdam, Moirangpurel, Rishophung, Nongren, and Leikoiching. Heavy rain turns the trail into a mud pit. Dry weather brings choking dust and deep potholes. The narrow track cannot support commercial buses or heavy transport.
Hostility on the main highway surged in February. On April 18, 2026, gunmen killed two civilians, including a retired Indian Army soldier. A Food Corporation of India driver died in an ambush on May 29. Most recently, attackers fired on vehicles near TM Kasom on November 4, though no one died.
Costs have skyrocketed. Fares jumped from Rs 300 to Rs 750 per person. Farmers struggle to reach markets. Local traveller Awon says the route is a nightmare. "I feel that taking the longer route has become a punishment. The road condition is worse and it is like off-roading through some jungle. In order to visit Imphal for a single purpose, I have to spend at least two to three days there as we cannot return to Ukhrul on the same day due to the long journey," she said.
MLA Ram Muivah petitioned Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh to upgrade the route to a state highway. The government has ignored the request. Residents conduct minor repairs themselves while waiting for action. Fear dictates the pace of life here. Families avoid night travel entirely, even during medical crises. For now, the treacherous route remains the only way out.
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