State-owned NHAI has created a Guinness World Record for the longest continuously laid bituminous lane of 75 kilometres in 105 hours and 33 minutes on the national highway between Amravati and Akola districts in Maharashtra. Mentioning about the record, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the project was implemented by 720 workers including a team of independent consultants who worked day and night. The total length of the 75 kilometres of single lane continuous bituminous concrete road is equivalent to 37.5 kilometres of two-lane paved shoulder road and the work started on June 3, at 7:27 am and was completed on June 7, at 5 pm, the minister said in a video message.
A total of 144 trucks, loaded with essential items, entered Manipur via the Guwahati-Imphal NH 39 and Silchar-Imphal NH 53 with security escort on Sunday, official sources said in Imphal.
Sixty-eight days of economic blockade since July 31 this year has crippled the common man in the landlocked bordering state of Manipur, even as the state government and the Centre failed to persuade agitators to withdraw the blockade.
Senapati district happens to be inhabited largely by different communities of the Kukis, the Nepalis, and the Nagas. Within the district, Sadar Hills is dominated demographically by the Kukis.
Only one petrol pump has stock but it will supply petrol and diesel only to school buses and school vans, official sources said.
Hours after the Centre decided to send security forces to remove the 65-day-old blockade of the two national highways causing severe shortage of essential commodities in Manipur, the Naga groups announced temporary suspension of their stir from Tuesday.
The United Naga Council decided on Tuesday, to extend its economic blockade, which was to end today after over three weeks, by 25 more days on two vital highways of Manipur, saying its demands have not been met.
Not a single bus or truck bound for other states has plied since the blockade began, sources said.
A Manipur Police commando and two police constables were killed while nine others were injured when militants ambushed road-opening parties at two different places in Chandel district of Manipur on Thursday.