Why did NGT ban the construction of Ring Road in Manipur?
Digital Desk, New Delhi. A case of a ring road has come to light in Manipur which was built without the approval of the state government. This road passes through the forests of 6 districts. The issue came to light after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the Manipur government not to carry out any further construction work on the Ring Road.
According to NDTV report, the NGT asked the Manipur Chief Secretary to direct magistrates and police chiefs of the six affected districts to ensure that. This forest ring road is not like the government approved ring road which is being built in the state capital Imphal with the help of Asian Development Bank.
On whose request did NGT give the order?
The order of the Eastern Zone Bench of the NGT in Kolkata came on a plea filed by COCOMI, the umbrella body of civil society organizations of the Meitei community of Manipur, seeking direction to the road builders to immediately stop the work.
COCOMI, in its petition to the NGT, said that the construction of roads in forest areas cannot be continued without a complete environmental and geological safety assessment. The organization demanded the formation of a high-level committee of experts to inspect the project site, submit a report and punish any violators.
What did NGT say?
The NGT said the applicant told them that the construction work on the road passing through forest and hilly areas in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Noni and Ukhrul districts was being carried out by the Kuki community. “As revealed by a memorandum submitted by the World Cookie-Jo Intellectual Council on February 5, 2025,” the NGT said.
The NGT further said, "The applicant has collected information from the relevant authorities including the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Rural Engineering Department and the Forest Department. He has stated that no official approval, no objection certificate or forest clearance has been issued for such construction. The applicant has further stated that satellite images show that illegal activity is taking place in ecologically sensitive areas."
'This can happen only in Manipur'
Following the NGT order, the umbrella body of civil society organizations told journalists that the road is locally known as German Road and in some parts as Tiger Road. Let us tell you that 'German' and 'Tiger' are the nicknames of Kuki rebels.
A local says, "Only in Manipur can a road be built in the name of militants through the forest without approval, permission and environmental assessment. It is because of such examples that the people of Manipur are angry. Those who do not care about the law, who openly work with the rebels and break all constitutional provisions, do not get punished."
What did COCOMI say?
"People came to know about it (the road) when some videos went viral on social media during the Manipur crisis, which included pictures of an inauguration program purportedly attended by the Saikul MLA and a gate with the name 'Tiger Road'," COCOMI said.
"It is also a matter of serious public concern, which has been consistently raised in representations to the competent authorities, field observations and civil society reports, that this road was used as a secret corridor during times of administrative irregularities during the crisis. These allegations relate to the illicit trafficking of illicit drugs, unauthorized movement of small arms and ammunition and its suspected use for the movement of undocumented or unauthorized migrants," the organization said.
Also read: Center takes a big step towards development in Manipur, security on India-Myanmar border; Emphasis on increasing infrastructure