Imphal : Manipur is witnessing a growing fuel supply crisis as ongoing shutdowns and economic blockades imposed by Naga and Kuki civil organisations continue to cripple movement along the state’s key highways.

The blockades, enforced in different parts of the state by the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) and the United Naga Council (UNC), have brought vehicular traffic to a near standstill, severely affecting the transportation of essential commodities, including petroleum products and cooking gas.

Officials said nearly 600 trucks remain stranded along National Highway 102, the lifeline connecting Imphal with Guwahati through Kohima. The stranded vehicles include several tankers carrying petrol, diesel and other petroleum supplies destined for the valley districts.

On the Imphal-Silchar route, more than 100 tankers transporting fuel and LPG cylinders have also been halted at Noney district, further aggravating fears of an artificial scarcity across the state.

The coordinated shutdowns were triggered after the May 13 ambush in Kangpokpi and Noney districts in which three Thadou church leaders and a Naga man were killed, while five others sustained injuries.

The violence also led to the abduction of several Naga and Kuki individuals. Although some hostages have since been exchanged, civil society organisations claimed that 14 Kuki persons and six Naga individuals are still missing, prompting intensified protests and renewed calls for their immediate release.

With supply chains disrupted, several fuel outlets in Imphal and nearby areas have reportedly begun running dry, raising concerns of a worsening crisis if the blockades continue.

Sources said the Malom oil depot near Imphal airport currently has adequate fuel reserves. However, the shortage of available tankers for transportation has emerged as a major bottleneck in distribution.

Under normal circumstances, fuel tankers arriving from outside the state are unloaded at the depot before being dispatched to retail outlets. But with many vehicles stranded on the highways, authorities are now depending on locally available transporters to load and distribute fuel directly from the Malom depot.

Transporters, however, have reportedly refused to operate under the existing payment structure, arguing that the loading charges offered are too low. Officials warned that unless normal movement resumes soon, the state could face a sharper shortage of fuel and other essential commodities in the coming days.