Freight woes threaten fresh supply crunch in Manipur as transporters stay away

Guwahati: Manipur is staring at the possibility of a fresh shortage of essential commodities as transport operators from outside the State are increasingly reluctant to send freight trucks to Manipur, citing mounting operational costs, prolonged travel time and uncertainty on the State's two lifeline National Highways.

The emerging transport crisis threatens to aggravate an already fragile economy that has struggled to recover from the ethnic unrest that erupted on 3 May 2023, which severely disrupted trade, industry and normal economic activity across the State.

For a landlocked State dependent almost entirely on road transport for the supply of food grains, vegetables, construction materials, petroleum products, medicines and other essential commodities, the deteriorating condition of the highway network has begun to affect both the availability and affordability of goods.


Before the outbreak of the conflict, a freight truck operating between Guwahati and Imphal could complete a round trip in approximately 3 to 4 days, enabling transporters to undertake 8 to 10 trips every month.

Today, the same truck takes anywhere between 25 and 30 days to complete a single round trip. According to traders, the sharp increase in travel time has significantly reduced the earning capacity of transporters while substantially increasing fuel consumption, maintenance costs, driver wages and other operational expenses.

"Transporters simply do not find it economically viable to send their vehicles to Manipur anymore," said Nahakpam Shanta, essential commodities wholesale distributor.

"Earlier, a truck could make 8 to 10 trips between Guwahati and Imphal every month. Now it struggles to complete even one trip. The overhead costs continue to increase while earnings continue to fall. No transporter wants to operate at a loss."

The crisis stems largely from the continued disruption of National Highway-2, the traditional Imphal-Dimapur route connecting Manipur with the rest of the country.

The highway has witnessed recurring blockades arising from competing demands by different groups, forcing most freight vehicles to divert through National Highway-37, the Imphal-Jiribam route. However, NH-37 itself is far from a reliable alternative.

Large stretches of the highway are presently undergoing widening and upgrading works, resulting in severely damaged road surfaces, bottlenecks and long traffic delays.

According to Shanta, loaded trucks now require 11 to 15 days, and in some cases up to 30 days, merely to complete the Guwahati-Imphal-Guwahati journey through NH-37.

The prevailing security situation has further complicated freight movement. Commercial vehicles travelling along NH-37 are allowed to move only as part of security convoys.

Only two or three convoys operate daily, with no convoy movement on Sundays. As a result, hundreds of freight trucks remain stranded for days near the Assam-Manipur border in Jiribam awaiting clearance. Traders estimate that between 2,000 and 5,000 loaded trucks are often waiting at various points along the route for convoy movement.

According to traders, losses due to deterioration of perishable goods may reach 60 to 70 percent in certain consignments.

According to traders, freight charges for essential commodities transported through NH-37 have increased from approximately Rs 5.60 per kilogram before the crisis to around Rs 8.50 per kilogram at present.

Transportation charges for potatoes alone have risen from Rs 5 per kilogram to Rs 7.50 per kilogram.

For a 25-tonne truck, transport expenditure has reportedly increased from approximately Rs 1.25 lakh before the crisis to nearly Rs 1.88 lakh.

Building materials have also become considerably more expensive. Freight charges for cement and steel have risen from around Rs 1,350 per tonne to nearly Rs 2,000 per tonne, with transporters often demanding additional payments to compensate for delays encountered during transit.

The increase in freight charges is already reflected in retail markets across Imphal. A market survey revealed significant increases in the prices of several essential commodities. Onions, which previously sold between Rs 25 and Rs 30 per kilogram, are now retailing at around Rs 50 per kilogram. Potatoes have risen from Rs 20 to Rs 30 per kilogram, while edible oil has increased from Rs 210 to Rs 240 per litre. Garlic now costs approximately Rs 280 per kilogram, up from Rs 230.

Fruit prices have also risen sharply. Apples are currently selling between Rs 350 and Rs 400 per kilogram, compared to Rs 200–250 earlier, while a box of grapes now costs approximately Rs 1,500, up from around Rs 1,000.

Construction materials have witnessed similar increases. Traders said the retail price of popular cement brands has increased by Rs 80–100 per bag, largely due to higher freight costs.

Traders said in Kangpokpi district owing to disruption of supply of LPG cylinders in black market selling at Rs 5000, while 50 kg rice bags are selling at around Rs 1500.

Wholesale traders have warned that the State could begin experiencing shortages of several commodities if transport bottlenecks continue through the monsoon season. The risk is compounded by the possibility of landslides and further deterioration of NH-37, which remains the principal supply corridor into Manipur.