In a video shared with EastMojo, Dr. Lalbiakmawia Ngente, convener of the newly formed Joint Civil Society of Mizoram (JCM), pans his camera across a stretch of National Highway 306. The frame reveals a startling sight: a gaping trench filled with rainwater, deep enough to row a boat or take a swim. His voice, weary and biting, drives home the frustration.
“If the central government feels that this is part of the country, I think this severe situation is due to the complete neglect of the central government,” Dr. Ngente says.
The visuals and words have struck a nerve across Mizoram, where the highway is far more than just a road, it is a lifeline. Since the morning of July 19, the Mizoram Oil Tanker Drivers Association has been on strike, citing the treacherous road conditions and repeated accidents. The result has been another crippling oil crisis in the landlocked state, with supply chains for essential goods breaking down. Vehicles lie stranded along the road, some overturned, many unable to proceed, and tensions are rising fast.
As public anger boils over, blame is being assigned in every direction. Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, have seized the moment. PC Zothansanga, a senior party official, minced no words.
“The ZPM party sold themselves on promises to construct roads that would last 15 years, but instead they are more concerned about beautifying themselves and focused on celebrations. We’ve had two summers under the ZPM government, and they have failed on their promises. While truck drivers are stranded on the road, the PWD Minister is busy dancing.”
The spotlight, however, remains squarely on the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), the agency currently in charge of the road. The Mizoram Public Works Department (PWD) formally handed over control of the Bilkhawthlir–Kolasib (Km 70–95) and Kawnpui/Khamrang (Km 118–133) stretches of National Highways 306 and 306A to NHIDCL on March 26, 2025.
Since the handover, road conditions have only worsened, prompting civil society to mobilize. On July 8, four prominent groups, Mizoram Transformation Movement (MTM), Centre for Environment and Social Justice (CESJ), Mizoram First (MF), and Citizens Alliance for Truth and Social Justice (CATAJ), came together to form the Joint Civil Society of Mizoram (JCM). Their mission: to confront the state’s chronic road infrastructure crisis.
“Despite nearly four decades of statehood, the state continues to grapple with underdeveloped and often hazardous road networks,” the JCM said in its founding statement. “This ongoing issue needs urgent and sustained attention from both state and central authorities.”
JCM’s first appeal was for NHIDCL to complete emergency repairs on the Vairengte–Sairang stretch of NH 306 and 306A before the monsoon set in fully. Their warnings, however, went unheeded.
On July 19, a joint delegation comprising JCM members, the Mizoram Tippers Association, Mizoram Truck Drivers Association, All Mizoram Commercial Tippers Association, Fak Hlawh Lo Valrual, along with local YMA and Village Council members, conducted an on-site inspection of the Kawnpui–Sairang stretch.
What they found was alarming: a 40-kilometre section of the highway had become nearly impassable. Roads were riddled with potholes, submerged in mud, and lacked even basic maintenance. Several vehicles had overturned, and many trucks had been stranded for days. Drivers and passengers were left without food, clean water, medical aid, or any hope of movement.
The delegation identified six critically dangerous sections of road, with three overturned vehicles still awaiting recovery. “There were only three excavators and one JCB working the entire stretch,” JCM said in a post-visit statement. “There were just five labourers on site. Most machines were not being used for roadwork but to push and pull stranded trucks. This clearly shows that there is no real effort by NHIDCL to immediately repair the road.”
The collapse of mobility has had severe consequences for Khamrang and surrounding villages, where residents are now struggling to access basic necessities, hospitals, and banks. The roadblock has escalated into a humanitarian concern.
“We appeal to all responsible authorities and stakeholders to act immediately to restore mobility, dignity, and safety for the people of Mizoram,” said Dr. Ngente. “Mizoram has been a state of the Indian Union for 38 years, and its citizens deserve better. Roads are lifelines of development, integration, and defence. Good roads are a Fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, and the people of Mizoram demand justice.”
Dr. Vanlalsiama Chhangte, General Secretary of MTM and Secretary of JCM, echoed this sentiment in a conversation with EastMojo. “It appears that successive governments have not given this highway the attention it deserves,” he said. “Mizoram, being a landlocked state with no alternative road access, is highly vulnerable in the event of a national security situation. Given the current condition of the roads, it would be extremely difficult to reach the state by land from outside.”
Asked about legal action, Dr. Chhangte confirmed that the JCM had considered it. However, as the Mizoram Truck Drivers Association (MTDA) has already filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court—which has been admitted—JCM will “for the time being adopt a wait-and-watch approach.”
The anger is not limited to organisations. Ruatfela Nu, a well-known activist, also visited the site and shared her blunt reaction. “We were already angry, but our anger is heightened after going to the site,” she said. “It’s just a short stretch, but the Mizoram PWD and NHIDCL are still unwilling to repair it. If we don’t see satisfactory work tomorrow, we will call for a major citizen-led volunteer drive.”
Meanwhile, a BJP spokesperson said that state party president Dr. K Beichhua had directed NHIDCL to report daily progress. However, NHIDCL reportedly responded that traffic jams and stranded trucks were obstructing their ability to transport boulders and other materials to the site.
Adding to the pressure, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Mizoram’s apex student body, issued a stern warning to NHIDCL. If repairs are not completed by the end of July, the group warned, it would shut down NHIDCL offices.
Chinkhanmanga Thomte, General Secretary of MZP, told EastMojo that the organisation had attempted to meet NHIDCL Executive Director Virendra Jakhar on July 17, only to be told he was on leave until August 7.
“While the whole state is suffering due to the lifeline being in a dilapidated condition, how can the Executive Director take leave?” Thomte asked. “It seems like they will not care even if we die of hunger. We believe the NHIDCL Executive Director is not worthy of staying here in Mizoram. As his deputation term is over, we do not want it extended. We want him to know that he should not return to Mizoram.”
EastMojo reached out to NHIDCL for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
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