Convoys of Confidence: How Manipur’s Security Grid Escorted 372 Essential-Goods Trucks Safely Along NH-2 on May 19, 2025
News Summary
On May 19, 2025, Manipur’s multi-agency security task-force shepherded 372 trucks hauling food, fuel, and medicine through the volatile Imphal–Dimapur corridor (NH-2). The day-long convoy operation—backed by 110 road-side Nakas and mobile checkpoints—saw zero detentions and no disruption, marking the smoothest freight run since ethnic violence flared last year. Tactical “area-dom” patrols fanned out across hillside hamlets while an aerial drone relay watched blind bends notorious for ambushes. Officials told India Today NE that tightening the security bubble on vulnerable stretches has cut hijack attempts to “nearly nil” this month. The success proves highways can remain Manipur’s lifeline even under heightened tension.
1. The Lifeline Called NH-2
Picture Manipur as a beating heart tucked inside rugged hill ribs. Its aorta is National Highway-2, a 220-kilometre stretch linking Imphal Valley to Dimapur rail-head in Nagaland. Every cooking-gas cylinder, every vial of insulin, even the coffee beans in your morning brew hitches a ride on this ribbon of bitumen. When NH-2 coughs, Manipur catches pneumonia.
2. Why 372 Trucks Matter More Than You Think
Three hundred seventy-two might sound like a random data point, but each truck averages 12 tonnes of cargo. Multiply and you get nearly 4,500 tonnes—roughly a week’s rice requirement for the entire valley plus enough diesel to keep every generator humming through power cuts. One uninterrupted convoy is the difference between full shelves and ration stamps.
3. Layered Security: From Drone Eyes to Drum-Beat Patrols
Security planners treat the highway like a chessboard:
- Ground Layer – 110 checkpoints double-verify driver IDs, remove tinted films, and sniff for contraband arms.
- Mobile Layer – Quick-Reaction Teams (QRTs) leapfrog between checkpoints, ready to plug flash roadblocks.
- Aerial Layer – Quad-copters with infrared payloads scan jungle flanks after dusk, feeding thermal imagery to a command van.
- Human Layer – Village volunteer guards known locally as “drum-beat patrols” bang metal sheets when suspicious movement is spotted, an old tribal warning system now woven into digital radio grids.
4. Inside a Convoy: Dispatches From the Driver’s Seat
Ask Moirangthem Shanta, a 42-year-old LPG tanker driver, what the day felt like:
“It’s like running the gauntlet, brother, but this time CRPF jeeps were ahead, beside, and behind. Even our lunch stop at Senapati Bazar had two jawans nursing black tea right next to us. I reached Imphal before sundown—a record since January.”
5. Economic Pulse: What a Day’s Delay Costs
The All-Manipur Chamber of Commerce pegs daily logistics loss at ₹9 crore whenever convoys stall. Perishable veggies from Jiribam rot, petrol pumps ration fuel, and e-commerce next-day deliveries slide into “sorry for the delay” emails. Safe passage on May 19 effectively saved the state ₹9 crore and 30,000 man-hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Were any arrests made during the May 19 convoy?
No. Police reported zero detentions across 110 checkpoints that day. - How long does the NH-2 convoy journey take now?
Roughly 6 hours end-to-end, down from 9 hours during peak unrest in 2024. - Can private cars join the security convoy?
Yes. Register at Kangpokpi or Mao police control room 30 minutes before departure. - What goods are prioritised in these convoys?
Fuel, LPG, medical supplies, and staple foods like rice and pulses. - Is NH-37 receiving similar security coverage?
Yes, but NH-2 remains the primary artery; a separate convoy of 187 trucks ran on NH-37 the same week.
