Three-day strike in Manipur over dilapidated Imphal-Jiribam route
due to the poor condition of NH-37, over 480 trucks are still on hold at Nungkao village of Tamenglong district.
Guwahati, July 22: Expressing disappointment over the condition of the Imphal-Jiribam road, the All Manipur Petroleum Transporters Association (AMPTA) has called for a three-day strike which will halt operations along the highway starting on Monday.
During the strike, the association called on the government and the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) to repair the route to Silchar from Imphal viaJiribam.
On July 17, around 480 trucks in four convoys left Jiribam for Imphal. However, due to the poor condition of NH-37, over 480 trucks, including Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) gas bullets, petroleum tankers, and others, are still stranded along the highway. To avoid traffic congestion, hundreds of empty goods trucks, LPG gas bullet tankers, and petroleum tankers are still on hold at Nungkao village of Tamenglong district.
As per reports, ever since the violence erupted in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki tribe, most transporters are opting for NH-37 instead of NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) passing through Kangpokpi district (Kuki dominated area). With the over-utilization of the highway and lack of maintenance, transporters are facing the worst conditions along the highway.
Imphal valley is also facing a shortage of LPG cooking gas supply. Earlier, on July 18, LPG cooking gas distributors in Imphal valley demonstrated a protest demanding an end to monetary demands from distributors. They also cautioned that they would not be able to distribute cooking gas to consumers if the frequent monetary demands do not stop.
As per reports, loaded trucks heading towards Imphal are now stuck near Makru bridge, while hundreds of empty trucks heading towards Jiribam from Imphal are also stuck at Nungkao village, along the highway. Drivers are taking risks to provide essential items to the public by using the highway. Additionally, the road’s condition is creating issues for the transporters. To cross the worst parts of the road, excavators are used to push the stuck vehicles, resulting in damage to many of the vehicles.
