Fresh landslides mar restoration of Tadubi-Ukl road

Our Correspondent
Senapati, Jul 11: Fresh mudslides have struck the Tadubi-Ukhrul stretch of National Highway 102A at Vaorei, further delaying the restoration of the crucial highway.
As the highway has remained closed since June 27, a team of Senapati District Truck Drivers' Union, the Senapati District Truck Owners' Association and officials of the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) inspected the road.
The highway has remained closed since June 27 for road improvement and blacktopping works and was initially scheduled to reopen after July 17.
However, incessant rainfall and recurring mudslides have repeatedly disrupted construction, preventing the project from progressing.
According to officials and those present during the inspection, the affected stretch had been temporarily cleared to facilitate vehicular movement.
However, another major mudslide buried the road under debris, bringing traffic to a complete halt once again.
Representatives of the Senapati District Truck Drivers' Union and the Senapati District Truck Owners' Association said the prolonged closure has severely affected transporters, with commercial vehicles unable to operate on the route for weeks.
They urged the relevant authorities to expedite restoration work, stating that the continued disruption has hampered vehicular movements.
The transport bodies further said that the Tadubi-Ukhrul highway has become an important alternative route for many travellers due to the prevailing security situation in Manipur.
According to them, many Naga travellers have been avoiding the Senapati–Kangpokpi stretch of NH-2 due to security concerns and often require security escorts while travelling through that route, making the Tadubi-Ukhrul road a vital alternative for connectivity.
NHIDCL officials said that they are making every effort  to complete the project, but continuous rainfall and repeated mudslides have made it impossible to carry out the work as scheduled.
They said the immediate priority is to clear the debris and restore temporary vehicular movement, while the remaining work, including the laying of a durable blacktop surface, will be completed once weather conditions improve.
The repeated disruptions have heightened concerns among residents, transporters and commuters, as the highway serves as a critical lifeline connecting Senapati, Ukhrul and Imphal.
With the ongoing conflict already restricting movement in parts of the State, local stakeholders have appealed for the earliest possible restoration of the highway to ensure safe and reliable connectivity.