Incessant rain over the last few days in parts of Manipur triggered massive landslides in Manipur on Wednesday, blocking portions of the Imphal-Silchar highway and affecting the movement of vehicles. At least 500 goods-laden trucks are stranded on either side of the highway due to the landslide, said officials on Thursday. However, no casualties have been reported so far. The landslides occurred on National Highway 37 between Irang and Awangkhul part 2, Khongsang and Awangkhul, and Rangkhui village. Restoration work is underway to clear the road and get vehicular movement back on track.
Due to the landslides, the supply of essential items is feared to be affected in the strife-torn state. Road blockades have not only affected the movement of goods and vehicles but also crippled daily lives as the state is already looking at the food scarcity problem.
A landslide measuring around 100 feet blocked portions of the National Highway-37 in between Irang bridge and Awangkhul village part II under the Nungba Police Station in the Imphal-Silchar sector, in the Noneh district, police sources said. There are also reports of landslides near Rangkhui village on NH-37.
In June last year, a massive landslide hit a railway construction site in the district, killing at least 61 people. The landslide happened at the Tupul railway yard construction site of the Jiribam-Imphal railway line on June 30. The landslide was triggered by heavy downpours that caused damage to the Tupul station building of the Jiribam–Imphal new line project. The disaster also stuck the track formation, and camps of construction workers. The massive debris also blocked the Ijei River which led to the creation of a reservoir that might have inundated low-lying areas.
Ethnic clashes broke out in the state of Manipur in May, and since then it has been going on for three months now. The violence has led to the deaths of over 160 people so far.