About 40 tonnes of essential items, including life-saving drugs, were airlifted to Manipur on Saturday from Guwahati by defence aircraft as the indefinite economic blockade by a Naga body continued, official sources said.

The aircraft carrying the items landed at Imphal Tulihal airport at around 8 am, the sources said.

• ANSAM threatens to impose economic blockade on national highway

The airlifting of the items followed Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil's [Images] assurance in Lok Sabha some days ago that essential items would be airlifted to the state in view of the economic blockade on national highways by All Naga Students Association Manipur.

The Naga outfit had launched the economic blockade since June 22  in protest against a government decision to declare June 18 as a holiday to observe 'state integrity day'.

• Manipur blockade: IAF to airlift supplies

They said it was against the plan for unification of Nagas. However, many social groups supported the government decision.

Meanwhile, sources said a team of Public Works Department has rushed to inspect a bridge on the Barak river on Imphal-Silchar National Highway 53 in Tamenglong district following a report that vehicles with more than 10 tonnes could not cross the weak bridge.