Agartala, 30th August 2026 : A prolonged disruption in the supply of stones to Tripura has pushed stone traders, crusher owners, vehicle operators and workers into severe financial distress, with the crisis continuing for nearly three months.
Across the greater Dharmanagar subdivision of North Tripura, several small and large stone crushers are reportedly on the verge of closure due to the shortage of raw materials. The disruption has also raised concerns over delays in construction and development projects, while transport operators, local markets and small businesses have been hit hard.
The situation is particularly serious in the Churaibari area, where a large number of families depend directly or indirectly on the stone trade for their livelihood. Local traders said alternative employment opportunities in the area are limited. Many people have purchased vehicles through bank loans or instalments and earn their livelihood by transporting boulders from Meghalaya to Churaibari. However, with stone transportation remaining disrupted for a prolonged period, their income has virtually stopped.
Traders claimed that some vehicle owners have even faced the possibility of losing their vehicles to finance companies due to their inability to pay regular instalments.
Against this backdrop, a meeting involving stone traders, representatives of workers’ organisations, vehicle owners and drivers, and crusher owners was held on Sunday at the residence of Tripura Boulder Merchant Association president Milan Debnath.
During the meeting, traders alleged that vehicles carrying underloaded stones from Meghalaya with valid documents are being stopped at the Digharkhal gate, the entry point to the Barak Valley. They claimed that several stone-laden vehicles have been detained despite carrying valid documentation, leading to growing resentment among traders.
The traders said the crisis was affecting not only the stone business but also development activities across Tripura. With construction projects facing shortages of essential stone materials, there are concerns that ongoing works could be disrupted. Thousands of people associated directly and indirectly with transportation, crushers, labour and related businesses are also facing an uncertain future.
The meeting called for immediate intervention by the governments of Tripura and Assam. The traders demanded that the complications at Digharkhal gate be resolved at the earliest and that transportation of stone-laden vehicles carrying valid documents be restored to normal.
They warned that if the issue is not resolved soon, thousands of people dependent on the stone trade may be forced to launch an agitation.
Traders also alleged that transporters bringing river stones from Assam to Tripura are facing difficulties. According to them, river stones extracted during the monsoon contain water, resulting in a slight increase in the weight of the loaded vehicles. They alleged that vehicles are being fined up to around Rs 22,000 at the Churaibari MGI weighbridge over the additional weight.
Traders pointed out that their profit from selling the stones transported in a vehicle is only around Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500, making such heavy penalties financially unsustainable.
The business community warned that if the situation continues, its impact may spread beyond Churaibari and Dharmanagar to the entire North Tripura district. They urged the Tripura government to hold discussions with the Assam government and take immediate steps to resolve the Digharkhal gate issue and other transportation-related complications.
Those present at Sunday’s meeting included Boulder Merchant Association president Milan Debnath, vice-president Abdul Hasim Talukdar, secretary Rupak Debnath, joint secretary Chhayab Ali Laskar, Raja Ghar, Selim Mia, Iqbal Hossain, Biswajit Ghosh, Sujel Ahmed and others.
