The article discusses infrastructure efforts in Manipur focused on improving National Highway-37 (NH-37), which provides connectivity between Imphal and Assam’s Silchar via the border town of Jiribam. During peacetime, NH-2 is typically preferred, but when Manipur experiences conflict, NH-37 becomes a crucial alternative despite its difficulty—especially in the rainy season when it can become almost unusable.

After ethnic conflict erupted in May 2023, followed by subsequent Kuki–Naga hostilities that led to prolonged blockades along the hilly stretch of NH-2, NH-37’s strategic importance increased. The government target is to make NH-37 “comfortably motorable” by December 2026. The upgrade includes repairing six critical stretches—Keiphundai, Shantikhunou, Barak, Nungba, Rengpang and Irang—covering about 39 km.

The article notes that NH-37 runs along the broader Imphal–Jiribam connectivity corridor and is expected to play a major role in India’s “Act East” policy by supporting surface connectivity with Southeast Asia.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways sanctioned a project in 2022 to widen and upgrade the highway’s 224 km length into an all-weather road under a ₹1,300-crore plan. The article says the Centre has already released ₹1,040 crore (nearly 80%). Planned works include straightening curves, strengthening landslide-prone segments and sink zones, and replacing ageing Bailey bridges with concrete bridges across seven packages.

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