Highways Must Come, First—Clear, Repair and Secure

The Imphal-Dimapur highway (NH-2), Manipur’s lifeline to the rest of India, is under siege. Relentless landslides along the Mao-Kohima stretches, particularly at Phesama in Nagaland, have left over 1,500 vehicles stranded, crippling the supply of essentials like food, fuel, and medicines.

Adding to this natural calamity is the deliberate disruption caused by Kuki groups, who have blockaded NH-2 in Kangpokpi district, treating this national highway as their personal fiefdom. These blockades, imposed by the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) have turned a critical route into a chokehold, exacerbating ethnic tensions and economic distress. Even the appeal by Union Home Ministry failed to give free movements of Meitei, which is a gross violations of the Article 14 of the Indian Constitution.

Similarly, National Highway-102B, connecting Manipur and Mizoram, is another critical artery disrupted by landslides in Sinzawl village of Churachandpur. When operational, this highway is a boon for the people of Churachandpur, facilitating trade and access to essential supplies from Aizawl and Silchar.

With crores of taxpayer money at stake, the government and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) must prioritize clearing and securing these highways before diverting resources to new projects.

On July 29, 2025, Dr. Krishan Kumar, Managing Director, and M.S. Deval, Executive Director of NHIDCL, met with Governor, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, at Raj Bhavan in Imphal to discuss ongoing and upcoming highway projects. The Governor rightly emphasized the need for timely execution to enhance connectivity, but the conversation must go further.

The NHIDCL should be directed to focus first on restoring NH-2, a vital artery plagued by both natural disasters and human interference. The landslides at Phesama, worsened by heavy rainfall, have rendered a 9-kilometer stretch impassable, with ongoing maintenance moving too slowly.

Meanwhile, Kuki blockades, fueled by Manipur violence since May 2023, have repeatedly disrupted this route, with public sentiment likening Manipur to an “open prison.” These blockades, coupled with the highway’s poor condition, demand immediate action.

Before NHIDCL considers launching new projects, it must prioritize three clear steps: clear the blockades, repair the damaged stretches of NH-2, and ensure security to prevent further disruptions. Only then should ongoing projects, like the Imphal-Moreh or Tamenglong-Mahur roads, be advanced, and only after those are stabilized should new initiatives be contemplated.

The Governor’s call for timely execution is a start, but it must translate into a laser-focused strategy to restore Manipur’s lifelines. Diverting resources to secondary roads or new ventures while NH-2 remains paralyzed is not just shortsighted—it’s a betrayal of public trust.

Survival of the people depends on open, functional highways. NHIDCL must act decisively to clear, repair, and secure them now.

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