With the No-2 Indo-Myanmar border road blocked, traders and casual labourers are in a spot because their goods cannot be exported to Mizoram state in Northeast India.

The Mizoram government closed the border road on April 28 following an announcement. Therefore all the goods are piling up at the Tiau gate in Rihkhawdar village on the Burma side.

“The road was blocked by the authorities of Mizoram state temporarily, but we don’t know when it will be opened. Prices of our goods are increasing in the Mizoram market as inside market prices are going up. We cannot earn any profit if we do not increase prices of our goods,” said a trader in the border area.  

Goods prices are increasing every year. Transportation and loading charges have also been going up. We paid one rupee for one kilogram of goods previously, but now it costs Rs. 1.50 per kilogram. The gates have increased to two so we pay for gate pass twice, he added.  

In fact, there was only one gate Melbuk - between Tiau village and Aizawl city, Mizoram state earlier, but now the authorities have opened a new check gate at Zemabawk, just before the entrance to Aizawl city.  

“Some customers may have told the authorities about the increasing prices of goods from the Burma side, so the government has closed the border road to bring down the prices,” said a trader.  

Now traders, labourers and shop owners are suffering as the road has been blocked. Some goods are still being exporting to Mizoram from the stocks in between Tiau village and Aizawl city.