Unpaved and broken : Potholes and dusty roads of Manipur
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Nicholas Khundrakpam
As one travels across North East India, marked disparities in road infrastructure become increasingly evident. Among the States, Manipur regrettably stands out not for efficient connectivity or well-maintained transport networks, but for the prevalence of broken, unpaved, pothole- ridden, and dust-laden roads. Under such conditions, routine travel has evolved into a demanding and often hazardous activity, where arriving at one’s destination safely is perceived as an accomplishment rather than a basic infrastructural assurance.
Across both urban centres and rural areas, roads are marked by deep potholes, uneven surfaces, loose gravel, and long-neglected damage, compelling vehicles to move slowly through dense dust clouds in the dry season and muddy, waterlogged stretches during the monsoon. Such conditions go far beyond simple inconvenience and represent a significant public health concern.
Resuspended road dust contains fine particulate matter enriched with toxic compounds, including heavy metals, that can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and enter the bloodstream. Prolonged exposure to this airborne dust leads to respiratory disorders, chronic cough, eye and skin irritation, and exacerbation of asthma, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, roadside vendors, and traffic police who are exposed for longer durations. For two-wheeler riders, daily travel becomes a continuous effort to avoid potholes, with reduced visibility and eye irritation significantly increasing the risk of accidents. Pedestrians are equally vulnerable, as the absence of safe walking spaces forces them to navigate hazardous road edges under constant threat of injury.
Vehicle owners pay road tax, GST, registration fees, green tax, and toll charges to support road construction and maintenance. However, the continued presence of broken, unpaved, and unsafe roads reveals a clear disconnect between the taxes paid and the infrastructure delivered.
A key factor behind this crisis is the persistent failure of the concerned departments, contractors, and tender-awarded firms responsible for road construction and maintenance. Infrastructure projects are often delayed, poorly implemented, or left incomplete, with minimal accountability or transparency. Rather than adopting durable engineering solutions, authorities frequently resort to short-term patchwork repairs that deteriorate within a short period. In addition, drainage systems, essential for road durability, are either inadequately designed or entirely absent. Consequently, even moderate rainfall results in waterlogging, which rapidly undermines road foundations and transforms streets into hazardous obstacle courses.
Some of the most glaring examples of neglect include Mayai Lambi Road, Porompat DC Complex Road, Ayangpali road, Sugnu road, Canchipur to Lilong road and Chandranadi Road. These roads have remained in deplorable condition for decades, despite serving thousands of vehicles every day. Their continued neglect reflects not merely a lack of funds, but deeper systemic issues related to governance, planning, technical oversight, and execution. Residents living along these routes have repeatedly raised concerns, yet meaningful and lasting solutions remain elusive.
Adding to the irony, are instances where concrete slabs are laid immediately after blacktopping, as seen in areas such as Konung Mamang. Such practices raise serious questions about engineering logic and financial transparency. Instead of improving durability, these contradictory interventions often worsen surface conditions, create uneven road profiles, and suggest misuse of public funds. Development, in such cases, appears more symbolic than functional roads are neither completed properly nor built to last.
Equally troubling is the recurring pattern of cosmetic repairs carried out just months before elections. Roads that remain neglected for years suddenly receive a thin layer of black bitumen, much like makeup hastily applied to conceal deep wrinkles.
These short-lived repairs serve more as visual propaganda than genuine infrastructure improvement, deteriorating rapidly once the monsoon arrives. Meanwhile, essential works such as repairing a single culvert, fixing collapsed drains, or addressing major potholes can take months or even years to complete, if they are addressed at all.
The crisis is not limited to local streets. National Highways, State Highways, and inter-village roads (IVRs) across Manipur suffer from similar neglect. Lesser signboard, missing reflectors, faded road markings, and the absence of warning boards significantly increase the risk of accidents, especially at night or during heavy rainfall. Many accident-prone zones remain unmarked, turning everyday travel into a gamble. Pedestrians face constant danger due to broken pavements and uneven shoulders, making even short walks hazardous.
Emergency services are among the worst affected. Ambulances, fire services, are frequently delayed due to damaged roads, sometimes with life-threatening consequences. For pregnant women, accident victims, and critically ill patients, poor road conditions can mean the difference between timely medical care and irreversible loss. In remote and hill areas, bad roads further isolate communities, especially during the monsoon, when landslides and road collapses are common.
Beyond safety and health concerns, poor road conditions severely affect the economy. Frequent vehicle breakdowns, higher fuel use, and rising maintenance costs burden commuters. Despite Manipur’s rich cultural and natural appeal, unsafe travel discourages tourism, ultimately weakening public confidence and slowing economic growth.
At the root of this persistent problem lie inadequate planning, poor-quality construction materials, lack of regular maintenance, and weak monitoring mechanisms. Roads are often built without proper assessment of local terrain, soil conditions, drainage requirements, or long-term sustainability. Once constructed, routine maintenance is neglected until damage becomes severe and costly to repair. Public feedback mechanisms remain weak, and accountability for substandard work is rare.
Addressing this crisis requires far more than temporary repairs or election-driven beautification. Durable road construction using quality materials, scientifically designed drainage systems, and strict technical supervision are essential. Transparent tender processes, time-bound project completion, and independent quality audits can help curb corruption and inefficiency. Installing proper signboards, reflectors, pedestrian crossings, and footpaths would significantly reduce accidents and improve road safety.
Community participation can also play a vital role. Citizen reporting platforms, social audits, and local monitoring committees can help ensure that projects are executed responsibly. Most importantly, infrastructure development must be continuous, need-based, and people-centricnot driven by electoral timelines. Roads are not merely physical structures; they are lifelines that connect people to healthcare, education, markets, and opportunity.
Until meaningful reforms are implemented, the broken, unpaved, pothole-filled, and dusty roads of Manipur will continue to symbolize neglect, an everyday reminder that development delayed is, ultimately, development denied.
The writer is a Research Scholar of Tezpur University, Department of Environmental Science, and can be reached at [email protected]
As one travels across North East India, marked disparities in road infrastructure become increasingly evident. Among the States, Manipur regrettably stands out not for efficient connectivity or well-maintained transport networks, but for the prevalence of broken, unpaved, pothole- ridden, and dust-laden roads. Under such conditions, routine travel has evolved into a demanding and often hazardous activity, where arriving at one’s destination safely is perceived as an accomplishment rather than a basic infrastructural assurance.
Across both urban centres and rural areas, roads are marked by deep potholes, uneven surfaces, loose gravel, and long-neglected damage, compelling vehicles to move slowly through dense dust clouds in the dry season and muddy, waterlogged stretches during the monsoon. Such conditions go far beyond simple inconvenience and represent a significant public health concern.
Resuspended road dust contains fine particulate matter enriched with toxic compounds, including heavy metals, that can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and enter the bloodstream. Prolonged exposure to this airborne dust leads to respiratory disorders, chronic cough, eye and skin irritation, and exacerbation of asthma, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, roadside vendors, and traffic police who are exposed for longer durations. For two-wheeler riders, daily travel becomes a continuous effort to avoid potholes, with reduced visibility and eye irritation significantly increasing the risk of accidents. Pedestrians are equally vulnerable, as the absence of safe walking spaces forces them to navigate hazardous road edges under constant threat of injury.
Vehicle owners pay road tax, GST, registration fees, green tax, and toll charges to support road construction and maintenance. However, the continued presence of broken, unpaved, and unsafe roads reveals a clear disconnect between the taxes paid and the infrastructure delivered.
A key factor behind this crisis is the persistent failure of the concerned departments, contractors, and tender-awarded firms responsible for road construction and maintenance. Infrastructure projects are often delayed, poorly implemented, or left incomplete, with minimal accountability or transparency. Rather than adopting durable engineering solutions, authorities frequently resort to short-term patchwork repairs that deteriorate within a short period. In addition, drainage systems, essential for road durability, are either inadequately designed or entirely absent. Consequently, even moderate rainfall results in waterlogging, which rapidly undermines road foundations and transforms streets into hazardous obstacle courses.
Some of the most glaring examples of neglect include Mayai Lambi Road, Porompat DC Complex Road, Ayangpali road, Sugnu road, Canchipur to Lilong road and Chandranadi Road. These roads have remained in deplorable condition for decades, despite serving thousands of vehicles every day. Their continued neglect reflects not merely a lack of funds, but deeper systemic issues related to governance, planning, technical oversight, and execution. Residents living along these routes have repeatedly raised concerns, yet meaningful and lasting solutions remain elusive.
Adding to the irony, are instances where concrete slabs are laid immediately after blacktopping, as seen in areas such as Konung Mamang. Such practices raise serious questions about engineering logic and financial transparency. Instead of improving durability, these contradictory interventions often worsen surface conditions, create uneven road profiles, and suggest misuse of public funds. Development, in such cases, appears more symbolic than functional roads are neither completed properly nor built to last.
Equally troubling is the recurring pattern of cosmetic repairs carried out just months before elections. Roads that remain neglected for years suddenly receive a thin layer of black bitumen, much like makeup hastily applied to conceal deep wrinkles.
These short-lived repairs serve more as visual propaganda than genuine infrastructure improvement, deteriorating rapidly once the monsoon arrives. Meanwhile, essential works such as repairing a single culvert, fixing collapsed drains, or addressing major potholes can take months or even years to complete, if they are addressed at all.
The crisis is not limited to local streets. National Highways, State Highways, and inter-village roads (IVRs) across Manipur suffer from similar neglect. Lesser signboard, missing reflectors, faded road markings, and the absence of warning boards significantly increase the risk of accidents, especially at night or during heavy rainfall. Many accident-prone zones remain unmarked, turning everyday travel into a gamble. Pedestrians face constant danger due to broken pavements and uneven shoulders, making even short walks hazardous.
Emergency services are among the worst affected. Ambulances, fire services, are frequently delayed due to damaged roads, sometimes with life-threatening consequences. For pregnant women, accident victims, and critically ill patients, poor road conditions can mean the difference between timely medical care and irreversible loss. In remote and hill areas, bad roads further isolate communities, especially during the monsoon, when landslides and road collapses are common.
Beyond safety and health concerns, poor road conditions severely affect the economy. Frequent vehicle breakdowns, higher fuel use, and rising maintenance costs burden commuters. Despite Manipur’s rich cultural and natural appeal, unsafe travel discourages tourism, ultimately weakening public confidence and slowing economic growth.
At the root of this persistent problem lie inadequate planning, poor-quality construction materials, lack of regular maintenance, and weak monitoring mechanisms. Roads are often built without proper assessment of local terrain, soil conditions, drainage requirements, or long-term sustainability. Once constructed, routine maintenance is neglected until damage becomes severe and costly to repair. Public feedback mechanisms remain weak, and accountability for substandard work is rare.
Addressing this crisis requires far more than temporary repairs or election-driven beautification. Durable road construction using quality materials, scientifically designed drainage systems, and strict technical supervision are essential. Transparent tender processes, time-bound project completion, and independent quality audits can help curb corruption and inefficiency. Installing proper signboards, reflectors, pedestrian crossings, and footpaths would significantly reduce accidents and improve road safety.
Community participation can also play a vital role. Citizen reporting platforms, social audits, and local monitoring committees can help ensure that projects are executed responsibly. Most importantly, infrastructure development must be continuous, need-based, and people-centricnot driven by electoral timelines. Roads are not merely physical structures; they are lifelines that connect people to healthcare, education, markets, and opportunity.
Until meaningful reforms are implemented, the broken, unpaved, pothole-filled, and dusty roads of Manipur will continue to symbolize neglect, an everyday reminder that development delayed is, ultimately, development denied.
The writer is a Research Scholar of Tezpur University, Department of Environmental Science, and can be reached at [email protected]