Imphal: As many as 300 trucks laden with essential commodities have been stranded at Lairou area in the Senapati district of Manipur bordering Nagaland due to an indefinite blockade imposed by the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), one of the powerful tribal outfits.
Mendicant Manipur has been heavily dependent on the essential items imported from the mainland of India for the past many years.
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The goods-laden trucks have been stranded in Lairou since August 18. The government has not sent any security personnel to protect them or to escort them towards Imphal, even after 12 days.
The drivers and handymen have started getting ill due to the hardships they are facing.
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COTU, Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi District of Manipur had served an ultimatum to the state government on August 17 to re-impose the highway blockade along NH-2 Imphal-Dimapur and NH-37 Imphal-Silchar if essential commodities failed to reach the Kuki-Zo inhabited areas including Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel and Kangpokpi districts.
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In response to the blockade, the State Government has informed that an alternative supply chain has been set up to transport essential commodities to the Kuki-Zo inhabited areas, especially in the Churachandpur district.
The commodities will be transported through Silchar and Aizawl due to the disruption of the Imphal-Dimapur supply chain.
The transportation of essential commodities from Imphal to Churachandpur will also be carried out from August 28, with the coordination of the Indian Army, CAPF, and Assam Rifles.