Manipur's 'Ring Road' Built Without Permission And Named After Militants, NGT Orders To Stop Work

A 'ring road' paved allegedly without the state government's approval and passing through forests in six districts has been found in Manipur.

The matter came to light after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on December 23 ordered the Manipur government to ensure no more construction work is done on the 'ring road'. It told the Manipur chief secretary to instruct the district magistrates and police chiefs of the six affected districts to ensure compliance.

This forest 'ring road' is not the same as the government-approved one coming up in the state capital Imphal with the assistance of Asian Development Bank.

The order by the NGT's eastern zone bench in Kolkata came on an application filed by the umbrella body of civil society organisations of Manipur's Meitei community, COCOMI, which sought a direction to those who are building the road to stop work immediately.

NDTV has seen a copy of the NGT order.

The COCOMI in its application to the NGT said the road construction work in the forest areas cannot be allowed to continue without a full environmental and geological safety assessment. It sought a high-level committee of experts to inspect the project site, give a report, and punish any violators.

The NGT said the applicant told them that construction work on the road passing through "forest and hilly areas" in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Noney, and Ukhrul districts is being done by the Kuki community, "as revealed through a memorandum dated February 5, 2025 submitted by the World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council."

"The applicant collected information from the authorities concerned including Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, the Rural Engineering Department, and the Forest Department who have intimated that no official approval, no-objection certificate, or forest clearance has been issued for such construction. The applicant has further submitted that satellite imagery corroborates the unauthorised activity in ecologically sensitive zones," the NGT said.

After the NGT order, the umbrella body of the civil society organisations told reporters that the road has been locally referred to as 'German Road' and at certain stretches as 'Tiger Road'.

"Only in Manipur can a road named after militants be built through forests without clearance, permission and environment assessment. Examples like this are why the people of Manipur are angry. Those who don't care about the law, those who openly work with insurgents and break all constitutional provisions don't get punished," the resident of a village from where the road passes told NDTV on phone, asking not to be identified for safety reasons.

'German' and 'Tiger' are nicknames of Kuki insurgents.

"Its [road's] existence came into wider public knowledge during the Manipur crisis following circulation of visual material on social media, including a flag-off/inauguration event reportedly involving the Saikul MLA, and photographs depicting a gate erected bearing the name 'Tiger Road'," COCOMI said in the statement.

"It is further a matter of grave public concern, raised consistently in representations, field observations, and civil society reports placed before competent authorities, that the said road has been widely alleged to have been used as a clandestine corridor during the period of administrative breakdown amid the crisis. These allegations relate to its suspected use for illicit trafficking of illegal drugs, unauthorised movement of small arms and ammunition, and the movement of undocumented or unauthorised immigrants," COCOMI said.

Brief Case History

The NGT said it ordered the Manipur chief secretary on August 20 this year to give a preliminary report on the allegations made by the applicant within four weeks. The NGT on September 4 extended the deadline by four weeks, and on October 27 by another two weeks.

The green court in its latest order on December 23 gave four more weeks after the chief secretary said responses given by the forest divisions in four of the six districts involved in the matter have to be re-verified before putting the information on record.

The next hearing is on February 2, 2026.

'Not Approved Or Sanctioned'

Following protests by the Foothill Naga Coordination Committee (FNCC), the Manipur government held a meeting with the civil society organisation's representatives in Imphal on August 8 this year.

A post-meeting statement said it was clarified that the state government had not approved or sanctioned any such roads as pointed out by FNCC.

"Necessary legal action will be taken after verifying the status of such illegal constructions/naming, if any on ground, will not be permitted," a statement signed by leaders of four tribal organisations of the FNCC and Manipur home secretary N Ashok Kumar said.

The areas that 'German/Tiger Road' pass are not far from some designated camps of Kuki insurgent groups that signed the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement, extended for a year on September 8.

The Manipur government in the statement after the meeting with FNCC leaders said, "As regards concerns expressed over SoO agreement/designated camps, interests and apprehensions of Nagas in foothill areas will be seriously considered by the state government in consultation with the government of India."

There could be several camps connected by the so-called 'ring road', a member of the umbrella body of civil society organisations told NDTV, requesting anonymity. "One called Sinai camp near Yaingangpokpi police station, another at Thangjing Hill range, one at Kharam Vaiphei initiated recently against the opposition of Liangmai and Meetei villagers in Kangchup and Konsakhul areas..."