Guwahati: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Eastern Zone Bench has ordered an immediate stop to all construction work on Manipur’s “Tiger Road” or Ring Road project, citing serious environmental concerns and alleged statutory violations.
The order follows an August 20 petition filed by the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), with spokesperson Khuraijam Athouba as petitioner. On December 23, the bench, comprising Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi (Judicial Member) and Ishwar Singh (Expert Member), invoked the Precautionary Principle under Section 20 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, restraining further construction until the next hearing scheduled for February 2, 2026.
The Tribunal noted that despite repeated opportunities, the Chief Secretary of Manipur failed to submit the required preliminary report. The order directs the Chief Secretary to instruct all District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police across six districts to ensure strict compliance and prevent continuation of construction.
Athouba’s petition alleged that the Tiger Road, spanning forested and hilly areas of Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Noney, and Ukhrul districts, was being built without mandatory environmental clearance, forest clearance, or no-objection certificates. COCOMI cited information from the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, the Forest Department, and the Rural Engineering Department, confirming that the project lacked statutory approvals. Satellite imagery presented to the Tribunal further corroborated unauthorized construction in ecologically sensitive zones.
COCOMI also claimed the road was being misused for illegal activities, posing environmental and security risks to Manipur’s fragile hill ecology. The organisation welcomed the NGT’s intervention, calling the order a “victory” that validates longstanding concerns over unlawful construction in the state’s forest areas.