Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Two thousand trucks and fuel tankers sit idle near the Assam border. They have been stuck for over ten days. The Transporters and Drivers Council (TDC) wants Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh to fix this mess immediately. The vehicles crowd a 20-kilometre stretch between Jiribam and Pailapul in Assam. A supply crisis looms.
Essential goods like Food Corporation of India rice, cement, and fertilizer remain trapped. Heavy rains triggered landslides at Kambiron, Sibilong, Noney, and Nungkao, wrecking National Highway 37. A recent slide at Nungkao halted traffic for hours before the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited cleared the path.
Drivers fear for their safety. Only eight companies of the Central Reserve Police Force provide escorts for the roughly 150 vehicles per convoy. Only three convoys have moved since August 1. The council wants the state government to deploy the India Reserve Battalion and Manipur Rifles to bolster the CRPF units. TDC officials stated, "The number of stranded vehicles has reportedly continued to rise."
The situation grows more volatile by the day. Truck operators running between Khongsang railway station and Imphal threaten to pull their services entirely. They claim the current security plan leaves them exposed on the Khongsang-Imphal leg. Without immediate intervention, Manipur faces a sharp spike in commodity prices and severe supply shortages.
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