Mizoram highway blockade: Vehicle owners protest NH-306's poor condition

Mizoram was left cut off from the rest of the country as vehicle owner associations staged a strike over the poor condition of the National Highway-306, which links Mizoram with Assam. 

The highway wore a deserted look on Thursday following a call for blockade by several organisations of vehicle owners and drivers. The NH-306 is the lifeline of the state as all supplies come through it. 

The associations based in Kolasib, bordering Assam, claimed they had requested the Mizoram government to repair the highway, but no action was taken. 

State government officials could not be contacted for comments. Kolasib unit of Mizoram Tipper Association Secretary F Lalbiakliana said all vehicles, including private ones and those carrying essential commodities and oil, were not allowed to ply on the highway within the Kolasib district. 

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Vehicles on medical emergency and essential services were exempted, he said. Lalbiakliana claimed the NH-306 between Vairengte in Kolasib district and Sairang in Aizawl district is in such a dilapidated condition that it is almost non-motorable, especially during the monsoon. 

He said the associations, state government, and National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) had discussed the matter at least five times in the past, but to no avail. 'We are compelled to enforce the blockade to mount pressure on the government and concerned construction companies,' Lalbiakliana said. 
Meanwhile, the Mizoram Merchants' Association (MIMA) expressed solidarity with the Kolasib vehicle owner and driver associations for the strike. 

The merchant body also urged all traders in the state not to hike prices of commodities during the blockade. Officials could not be contacted for comments on the ongoing strike.