Even as 300 trucks lie stranded... NHIDCL 'halts' road repair work

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 5: The NHIDCL has paused road repairing work merely days after it started, hindering transport on National Highway-37, claimed transporters.
Around 300 inbound vehicles which left Jiribam on Saturday are currently stuck along the Noney-Nungba stretch, said Transporters' and Drivers' Council (TDC), citing unfavourable road conditions and no movement of convoy today being Sunday as the reasons for the delay.
Speaking to this paper, TDC president Hijam Ranjit said the NHIDCL has "again" neglected its duties and failed to keep the assurances it gave earlier.
During an earlier meeting with their officials in presence of Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand, the NHIDCL was instructed to repair the road on a war footing to ensure unhindered flow of transport vehicles, he said.
However, shortly after starting the road repairing work, the NHIDCL has stopped all operations, Ranjit said.
A landslide at Oinamlong area recently deposited debris on the road, obstructing traffic. However, the NHIDCL cleared the debris only on a single lane and failed to entirely clear the road and the blocked drainage, Ranjit said.
The damaged sections of the highway, if not repaired swiftly, could worsen in the coming weeks when rain comes, Ranjit said.
The NHIDCL should honour its commitment and repair the work on a war footing in the interest of the people of Manipur, Ranjit said, also urging the Government too look into the matter.
Meanwhile, a source said no security convoy  will operate on Monday to escort empty trucks and tankers to Jiribam.
However, around 450 loaded trucks and tankers stranded at Jiribam may be escorted to Imphal by three security convoys, added the source.
On the other hand scores of truck drivers, most of them from outside Manipur, find themselves trapped in a crisis along National Highway-2, after being caught between two opposing protest points enforced by Kuki and Naga groups, reports our Kangpokpi correspondent.
The drivers have remained stranded for several days in the stretch between Namduilong- Kanglatongbi, where a Naga group's economic blockade has continued for over 60 days, and the Gamgiphai Buffer Zone, where Kuki group have intensified a round-the-clock indefinite agitation demanding the reopening of the highway blockade.
The prolonged standoff has effectively left the drivers with no safe passage in either direction.