Imphal: Around 1,000 trucks and oil tankers carrying essential supplies to Imphal were stranded between Jiribam and Jirighat in Assam’s Cachar district on July 26 due to the lack of a security convoy, officials said on Monday. The disruption led to a major traffic jam, affecting the movement of smaller vehicles along the route.
The shortage of security escorts along National Highway-37 (NH-37) has emerged as a major challenge, with the increasing number of vehicles waiting to enter Manipur. Although convoy sizes have been increased from around 100 to nearly 150 vehicles, the available security arrangement remains inadequate to handle the growing traffic pressure. Currently, eight companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are deployed for convoy duties.
The poor condition of NH-37 has further worsened the situation, significantly increasing travel time between Imphal and Jiribam. Empty trucks travelling from Imphal to Jiribam now take two to three days to complete the 222-km journey, while loaded vehicles heading towards Imphal require three to five days. Transporters often have to wait between five and ten days to join a security convoy, with fuel and LPG tankers given priority.
Transporters’ and Drivers’ Council (TDC) president Hijam Ranjit said the repeated traffic blockades are affecting the supply chain and creating hardships for drivers as well as security personnel. The council has urged authorities to increase security escorts and undertake urgent repairs on the damaged highway to ensure smoother movement of essential goods.