NGT orders immediate halt to road construction in Manipur’s hill areas
Imphal: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Eastern Zone Bench in Kolkata, has ordered an immediate suspension of the ongoing road construction in Manipur’s hilly and forested areas, pending comprehensive environmental and geological safety assessments.
A Bench comprising Judicial Member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member Ishwar Singh directed the Manipur Chief Secretary to issue necessary instructions to all District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police in the six concerned districts to ensure that no further construction activity related to the project is carried out.
The direction was issued during a physical hearing conducted in hybrid mode on an original application filed by Khuraijam Athouba Singh, Convener of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an apex Meitei civil society body.
The applicant approached the tribunal under the provisions of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, seeking a halt to construction activities allegedly being undertaken in ecologically sensitive and forest areas without mandatory statutory approvals.
The NGT also constituted a high-level expert committee to inspect the project site and take appropriate action in case of violations, while ensuring protection of forest land.
According to the application, the road project — commonly referred to as the ‘Ring Road’ — spans districts including Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Noney and Ukhrul, and is allegedly being executed without essential clearances such as forest approval, environmental impact assessment or no-objection certificates from competent authorities.
The tribunal fixed February 2, 2026, as the next date of hearing.
In a statement, COCOMI Convener Singh said the road is popularly known as the “German Road” and in certain stretches as the “Tiger Road”.
He said the existence of the road came into wider public focus during the Manipur ethnic crisis after visuals circulated on social media, including those of an alleged flag-off or inauguration event involving a local MLA.
COCOMI alleged that the road was partially constructed without transparency and outside established legal and environmental frameworks, and that no publicly available records of mandatory statutory clearances have been disclosed so far.
Singh further said public concerns have been raised through representations and civil society reports, alleging that the road may have been used as a clandestine corridor during the period of administrative breakdown amid the ethnic violence.
COCOMI, however, clarified that these remain allegations requiring independent investigation and judicial determination, and that no final conclusions are being drawn at this stage.
The organisation said the interim NGT order is a crucial step towards upholding environmental rule of law, preventing misuse of illegally constructed infrastructure, and safeguarding fragile hill ecosystems and indigenous lands.
COCOMI reiterated its commitment to pursue the matter strictly through constitutional, legal and democratic means, while expressing faith in judicial institutions to ensure accountability, environmental protection, and long-term peace and stability in Manipur.