Mizoram Cut Off from Assam Due to Highway Blockade

Aizawl: Since Thursday, the route between Mizoram and Assam has been disrupted as truckers have blocked the national highway that connects Silchar to Aizawl through Kawnpui and Sairang.

On Friday, officials from the Kolasib district, which borders Assam, reported that the blockade was initiated by truckers who are using their own vehicles and labor to repair the damaged highway.

The Kolasib district unit of the Mizoram Tipper Association (MTA) initiated the blockade on Thursday. Truckers have acquired boulders from local quarries to fix the highway’s most severely damaged portions, known to have caused several vehicle overturns in the past. They are receiving assistance from various units of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) located in Kolasib.

MTA leaders indicated that repair operations are slated to continue until July 1, during which no vehicles will be allowed to pass through. This blockade has resulted in hundreds of vehicles being stranded along the highway on both sides, impacting travel between Assam and Aizawl.

The highway section experiencing the worst damage is situated between Kawnpui in Kolasib district and Sairang, close to Aizawl. While the state public works department had been working on repairs, progress has been hampered by insufficient funds, equipment, and manpower, leading truckers to take matters into their own hands.

Officials from the public works department noted that, although this section of the highway is managed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, the state agency took the initiative to begin repairs due to urgent public safety concerns.