UKHRUL: A crucial lifeline for the Kamjong and Ukhrul districts, the Imphal–Kasom Khullen Road, connecting the Indo-Myanmar border, is in extremely perilous condition due to neglect and poor maintenance. Despite its strategic importance, the road is plagued by potholes, landslides, and poor drainage, the region’s civil societies said while appealing for immediate intervention.
Civil society organizations, including the Kasom Khullen Sub-Division Development Association (KKSDDA) and the Kasom Khullen Sub-Division Students’ Union (KKSDSU), have appealed to the government for urgent intervention. They cited the absence of regular maintenance, inadequate drainage, and failure to clear obstructions as the main reasons for the road’s rapid deterioration. Deforestation and stone quarrying in the area have exacerbated the situation, contributing to landslides and further damaging the road.
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It may be mentioned that a 47-km stretch connecting Thoubal and Kasom Khullen was upgraded to a two-lane road in 2019 by the Public Works Department (PWD), Manipur, with funding from the Asian Development Bank and the North Eastern States Roads Investment Programme (NESRIP) under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER). The project was reportedly executed at an estimated cost of Rs 203 crore, when Ram Muivah, the current MLA for the 44 Ukhrul Assembly Constituency, served as principal secretary (works).
The road also connects National Highway 102A and the vital Ramva–Hongbei Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) road, providing a crucial link for residents and commuters in Kamjong and Ukhrul districts. This highway has gained significance with the onset of the current communal conflict in the state.
However, years after the project’s completion, the road has deteriorated considerably, with little visible maintenance or improvement by the concerned authorities.
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The Kasom Khullen Sub-Division Development Association (KKSDDA) attributed the lack of a proper drainage system, regular maintenance, and failure to clear obstructions. Kasom Khullen Sub-Division Students’ Union (KKSDSU) reported that the road beyond Kasom Khullen toward Namlee village along the Indo-Myanmar border is in an even worse condition, with little sign of maintenance. The stretch becomes almost impassable during the monsoon, severely hampering the movement of people and essential supplies.
Despite being one of the shortest routes connecting the state capital to the border area, poor road connectivity, coupled with inadequate mobile network coverage, has left several border villages isolated and deprived of reliable access to essential services.
Further, the student union stated that despite the chief minister’s recent assurance to look into the matter, no tangible action has been taken so far to improve the road conditions. The union expressed concern over the continued neglect of a route and urged immediate intervention from the concerned authorities to alleviate the suffering of the residents.
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The deteriorating road condition has also raised safety concerns. On October 14, two vehicles, including a Winger taxi coming from Phungyar, collided, leaving an elderly person injured. The incident thus underscored the risks faced by commuters travelling along the neglected lifeline, the union added.