Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Eastern Zone Bench, has directed the Manipur government to immediately halt the construction of a 'Ring Road' in the hill areas of the state.
This comes after reports that the project was being carried out without prior approval. As per reports, on December 23, the NGT ordered the Manipur government to ensure no more construction work is done on the 'Ring Road'. It told the Manipur chief secretary to instruct the district magistrates and police chiefs of the six affected districts to ensure compliance.
The order came after the umbrella body of the civil society organization Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) filed a case raising concern over environmental and safety risks.
During the 5th hearing of the application filed by Khuraijam Athouba on behalf of COCOMI, found sufficient grounds to intervene in view of serious concerns relating to environmental compliance, legality of construction, and statutory clearances in ecologically sensitive hill areas.
The COCOMI in its application to the NGT said the road construction work in the forest areas cannot be allowed to continue without a full environmental and geological safety assessment. It sought a high-level committee of experts to inspect the project site, give a report, and punish any violators.
The road came into focus during the Manipur unrest after visual materials circulated on social media. The body stated that the road has been locally referred to as 'German Road' and at certain stretches as 'Tiger Road'. The COCOMI has alleged that the Ring Road was constructed without transparency and outside established legal procedures. They also emphasised that no publicly disclosed records of mandatory environmental impact assessments, forest clearances, or other statutory approvals have been made available so far.
The COCOMI further alleged that the corridor had turned into a route for for illicit drug trafficking, unauthorised movement of arms and ammunition, and the movement of undocumented immigrants. However, the body clarified that these were just allegations requiring investigations.
Further, the body termed the NGT’s order a major step to help uphold environmental rule of law and prevent the misuse of allegedly illegal infrastructure in fragile hill ecosystems. COCOMI has demanded the complete closure of all related administrative, environmental and financial documents.
The NGT has given four weeks after the chief secretary said responses given by the forest divisions in four of the six districts involved in the matter have to be re-verified before putting the information on record. Reportedly, the next hearing is scheduled for February 2, 2026.