Govt to acquire land in Lamsang sub-division
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 29 2025: The state government has issued a notification for acquiring over 1.72 hectares of land in Imphal West district for the construction of a major tunnel along the under-construction Jiribam-Imphal railway line.

The land acquisition is for the construction of Tunnel No 12, a single line broad-gauge tunnel spanning approximately 9.5 kilometres between chainage 105840.00 and 115391.00 .

The project also includes two ADIT access tunnels measuring approximately 1.44 km and 420 metres respectively.

The required land, measuring 1.7292 hectares, lies within the villages of Kangdabi and Tairenpokpi under Lamsang sub-division in Imphal West.

The acquiring department is the Northeast Frontier (NF) Railway.

The notification, issued by the land resources department on June 20 and published in the Manipur Gazette Extraordinary on June 25, is in accordance with Rule 3(1) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Social Impact Assessment and Consent) (Manipur) Rules, 2014 and Section 4(1) of the central Act of 2013.It calls for the initiation of a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) to evaluate both positive and negative effects of the proposed acquisition.

The SIA is intended to ensure a transparent and humane process while determining the need and public purpose of the project.

It will identify the nature, extent and intensity of social impacts and propose strategies for their mitigation.

The study must involve consultations with local authorities concerned such as Panchayats or Municipal bodies in the affected areas and must be completed within six months from its commencement.

The views of the affected families are to be recorded in writing.

Interested persons may approach the member secretary of the SIA Unit, Manipur, for further information.

The Tunnel No 12 is set to be the longest railway tunnel in the Northeast.

It is a critical component of the 111-kilo-metre Jiribam-Imphal railway project, which aims to vastly improve connectivity between the state capital and the rest of the country.

Once completed, the railway line is expected to reduce travel time from nearly 10 hours by road to just about two-and-a-half hours by train.

As of May 2025, the railway project has made significant strides.

The section from Jiribam to Khongsang covering 55.36 kilometres is already operational.

Construction is actively progressing on the remaining stretches up to Imphal.

Of the 52 planned tunnels, around 59 kilometres of tunnelling has already been completed.

In addition, several major and minor bridges have been completed, and six of the 11 proposed railway stations are ready, with Khongsang station in Noney already in use.

Despite rapid progress, the project continues to face engineering and logistical challenges due to the region's complex terrain, including frequent landslides, soil instability, and difficult weather conditions.

The devastating landslide at Tupul in June 2022 remains a reminder of the vulnerabilities along the route.

Delays have also been attributed to land acquisition issues, forest clearances, utility shifting, and law and order concerns.

However, once completed, the Jiribam-Imphal railway line is expected to transform transportation in the state, enabling faster movement of people and goods, boosting the economy, and providing a reliable alternative to road travel in one of the country's most remote regions.

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