Imphal, May 21 2010: Forty kilolitre of Kerosene was airlifted today by Indian Airforce's biggest cargo aircraft, Gazanj, as more consignment of life saving drugs reached Imphal air cargo. The Russian made Gazanj air cargo aircraft of the Indian airforce landed with 40 KL of SK oil along with ATF fuel at Imphal airport today at about 12.30 pm.

A total of nine MT of rice and 10.872 MT of life saving drugs in 897 packets airlifted today by air cargo logistic post and air cargo of airforce today.

A consignment of 6.872 MT was airlifted by air cargo of Logistic Post while 4 MT of the same item procured by the Air force aircraft, a statement of the state home department said.

On the other hand, the volume of to and fro of freight vehicles also increasing on the Imphal-Churachandpur-Aizwal via Silchar section of the NH-150 is also increasing, official report in the state home department said.

As many as 26 vehicles (14 heavy vehicles, six medium vehicles and six light vehicles) carrying essential commodities reached Churachandpur with 110 barrels of diesel, 31 barrels of petrol, 2650 cement bags and 12 filled LPG cylinders.

A total of 24 vehicles also left Churachandpur for Mizoram today, the source said.

Meanwhile, with no hope of resuming normal traffic on the Imphal-Dimapur section of the NH-39, drivers of the freight trucks have expressed their willingness to ply on the NH-53 instead of government efforts improving the NH-150 (Imphal-Churachandpur-Aizawl-Silchar road considering the long distance to be covered in procuring the essential commodities.

The Manipur Drivers' Welfare Association suggested that NH-53 would be more convenient in the movement of trucks ferrying essential commodities as the route is the shortest route to ferry the items next to the Imphal-Dimapur section of the NH-39 .

Mention may be made that the distance of the Silchar from Imphal on the NH-53 is 265 kilometer, out of which 220 km is within the state while the rest 45 on Assam side while to reach Silchar on the NH-150, it has to cover a distance of above 500 km, that too after passing through Mizoram.

The NH-53 would be the best long lasting route for developing as lifeline of the state next to NH-39, said a memorandum to the state transport minister by the drivers association on Thursday appealing the later to take up developmental works of NH-53 with full security protection for the passage of essential commodities free of all sort of disturbances.

They also demanded opening a accident relief and re-enforcement post at an appropriate place with latest equipment, most appropriately at Khongsang area.

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