NGT orders halt to 'German', 'Tiger' road built by Kukis through Manipur forest without clearance

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• NGT orders immediate halt to Manipur road construction over lack of clearances
• Manipur govt told to enforce stoppage; next hearing set for February 2, 2026
• Road allegedly used as secret corridor during Manipur crisis, raising concerns

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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered an immediate halt to construction on a controversial road cutting through forested and hilly terrain in Manipur, after finding that the project allegedly proceeded without statutory approvals or environmental clearance.

In an order dated December 23, the eastern zone bench of the NGT in Kolkata directed the Manipur government to ensure that no further work is carried out on the road, locally referred to as the ‘German Road’ or ‘Tiger Road’. The tribunal instructed the state’s chief secretary to issue directions to district magistrates and police chiefs in six districts to strictly enforce the stoppage.

According to a report by NDTV, the road in question has been described as a “ring road” traversing forest areas across districts including Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Noney and Ukhrul. Authorities have clarified that it is distinct from the officially sanctioned ring road project around Imphal, which is being developed with assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

The matter reached the green court following an application filed by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of Meitei civil society organisations. The petition sought immediate suspension of construction, arguing that work was being carried out without mandatory environmental and geological assessments. COCOMI also demanded that a high-level expert committee inspect the site, submit a detailed report and identify those responsible for violations.

In its order, the tribunal recorded that the applicant had approached multiple government departments, including the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, the Rural Engineering Department and the Forest Department. According to the NGT, these authorities stated that no approval, no-objection certificate or forest clearance had been granted for the road. The tribunal also noted the applicant’s submission that satellite imagery supported claims of unauthorised construction in ecologically sensitive zones.

The NGT further observed that COCOMI alleged the road construction was being undertaken by the Kuki community, citing a memorandum dated February 5, 2025, submitted by the World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council. The tribunal took note of these claims while directing the state administration to ensure compliance with its interim order.

Following the NGT’s intervention, COCOMI representatives told reporters that the road had been locally named after militants. “Only in Manipur can a road named after militants be built through forests without clearance, permission and environment assessment. Examples like this are why the people of Manipur are angry. Those who don't care about the law, those who openly work with insurgents and break all constitutional provisions don't get punished,” a resident from a village along the road told NDTV, requesting anonymity for safety reasons.

‘German’ and ‘Tiger’ are reportedly nicknames of Kuki insurgents. According to COCOMI, the road’s existence became widely known during the ongoing Manipur crisis after visuals circulated on social media. These included images of a flag-off or inauguration event allegedly involving the Saikul MLA and photographs showing a gate bearing the name ‘Tiger Road’.

In a statement submitted to the tribunal, COCOMI said, “Its [road's] existence came into wider public knowledge during the Manipur crisis following circulation of visual material on social media, including a flag-off/inauguration event reportedly involving the Saikul MLA, and photographs depicting a gate erected bearing the name 'Tiger Road'.”

The organisation also raised serious allegations about the road’s alleged use during the period of administrative breakdown in the state. “It is further a matter of grave public concern… that the said road has been widely alleged to have been used as a clandestine corridor during the period of administrative breakdown amid the crisis,” the statement said, adding that there were suspicions of trafficking, unauthorised movement of arms and movement of undocumented immigrants.

The tribunal traced the procedural history of the case, noting that it had first directed the Manipur chief secretary on August 20 to submit a preliminary report within four weeks. The deadline was extended multiple times -- on September 4, October 27 and again in the December 23 order -- after the chief secretary informed the court that information from forest divisions in four of the six districts needed re-verification.

The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for February 2, 2026.

Separately, the Manipur government had earlier said that it had not approved or sanctioned any such road. This clarification came after protests by the Foothill Naga Coordination Committee, following which a meeting was held in Imphal on August 8. A joint statement after the meeting said, “Necessary legal action will be taken after verifying the status of such illegal constructions/naming, if any on ground, will not be permitted.”

The road reportedly passes close to designated camps of Kuki insurgent groups under the suspension of operations agreement, which was extended for another year on September 8. A civil society representative, speaking on condition of anonymity, told NDTV that several such camps could be connected by the road, heightening local concerns as scrutiny over the project continues.