800 Goods Trucks and Fuel Tankers Stranded in Manipur and Assam During Security Escort Shortage and Landslides

Guwahati: More than 800 goods trucks and fuel tankers remain stranded in Manipur and neighbouring Assam due to a shortage of security escorts and multiple landslides that have severely disrupted traffic along National Highway 37.

As per sources, around 420 trucks and tankers are currently waiting at Jiribam in Manipur for security escorts, while another 350 vehicles are held up at Jirighat in Assam. Although police had earlier increased convoy operations to reduce the backlog, only one convoy has been deployed in the past two days. Each convoy is capable of escorting around 150 vehicles, resulting in slow movement of essential supplies into the state.

Drivers have assisted the delays to limited deployment of security personnel, with nine CRPF companies presently engaged in escort duties. They have urged the Government and police offocials to deploy additional forces and facilitate two to three convoys daily to ease the growing congestion.

Several stretches of NH-37, particularly between Barak and Sibilong and near the Irang bridge area, have been damaged by recent landslides. This has further slowed movement, with vehicles taking several days to reach Imphal.

At present, the Imphal–Jiribam route remains the only operational corridor for escorted convoys, while the Imphal–Dimapur highway has been disrupted for weeks following incidents of violence and ambushes.

Drivers have appealed to the state government and security agencies to increase escort capacity and expedite repair work on damaged sections of the highway to restore smoother supply movement.

Earlier this week, 174 vehicles, including fuel tankers and goods carriers, travelled from Jiribam to Imphal under security escort. The convoy included 20 petrol tankers, 19 diesel tankers, 11 multi-compartment fuel tankers, four aviation turbine fuel tankers, 25 LPG tankers, two SK oil trucks, and 103 goods carriers.

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