Stone supply disruption has left over 100 crusher units idle across North Tripura’s Dharmanagar subdivision, affecting workers, transporters and construction projects as traders seek government intervention to restore stone movement from Meghalaya and Assam.
The movement of stone into Tripura has remained disrupted for nearly three months, severely affecting crusher units, transport operators, workers and traders associated with the stone business across the larger Dharmanagar subdivision of North Tripura.
The prolonged disruption has also created difficulties in the supply of construction materials, with traders and other stakeholders claiming that shortages are affecting several development and construction activities in the region.
According to stone traders and crusher owners, more than 100 small and large crusher units operating across the subdivision are facing difficulties because of the irregular supply of stones. Thousands of workers, vehicle owners, drivers and others dependent on the transport and stone trade have also reportedly been affected by the situation.
A meeting involving stone traders, crusher owners, workers’ representatives, vehicle owners and drivers was held on Sunday at the residence of Tripura Boulder Merchant Association president Milan Debnath. Participants discussed the difficulties being faced by people involved in transporting stones from neighbouring states.
During the meeting, participants alleged that vehicles carrying underloaded stones from Meghalaya and possessing valid documents were being stopped at Digarkhal, an important entry point in the Barak Valley. Traders questioned the reasons for detaining such vehicles and sought clarification from the authorities regarding the movement of legally documented consignments.
The disruption has particularly affected families in the Churaibari area that depend heavily on the stone trade for their livelihoods. Several vehicle owners have reportedly purchased trucks through bank loans or instalment-based financing to transport boulders from Meghalaya to Churaibari for sale.
With the movement of stones remaining disrupted, many of these vehicle owners have experienced a sharp decline in income. Participants claimed that some owners have struggled to meet their monthly instalments, while finance companies have reportedly seized certain vehicles because of payment defaults.
Traders also raised concerns over the transportation of river stones from Assam. According to them, vehicles carrying river stones face difficulties at the Churaibari Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) gate, particularly during the monsoon.
They said river stones often retain additional water during the rainy season, increasing the overall weight of loaded vehicles. As a result, transporters are allegedly being subjected to penalties for excess weight, with traders claiming that fines have reached around Rs 22,000 in some cases.
The traders pointed out that the financial margins in the business are relatively low. According to their claims, the profit earned from selling one vehicle-load of stones is generally around Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500. They said penalties of such magnitude can therefore place a significant financial burden on small transporters.
The meeting called for immediate intervention by the governments of Tripura and Assam to resolve the difficulties at Digarkhal and the Churaibari MVI gate. Participants urged the Tripura government to raise the matter with the Assam government and seek measures to ensure the uninterrupted movement of stone-carrying vehicles holding valid documents.
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Stakeholders said restoring the supply chain is important not only for traders and transport workers but also for crusher units and construction activities that depend on a steady supply of stone.
Those present at the meeting included Milan Debnath, Abdul Hasim Talukdar, Rupak Debnath, Chhayab Ali Laskar, Raja Dhar, Selim Mia, Iqbal Hossain, Biswajit Ghosh and Sujel Ahmed, among others.
