Drought study report to be discussed today
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 22 2012:
Report of the Cabinet sub-committee, set up by the Government to study severity of the drought-like situation gripping the State farmers, would be tabled for discussion at a high level meeting scheduled tomorrow.
Along with a state Cabinet meeting constituting the Sub Committee to assess the prevailing situation, Ministerial teams fanned out to various paddy plantation sites in the valley districts yesterday with the same exercise sustained today at the hill districts of Chandel, churachandpur and Senapati.
For chandel district inspection, sub-committee members Education Minister M Okendro and Agriculture Minister Md Abdul Nasir were accompanied by MLAs DK Korungthang (Tengnoupal) and Ninhlung victor (Chandel) .
for paddy fields located on either banks of the Chakpi river, the team noted that pumps could be placed at suitable sites to draw water for irrigation while for farmlands without natural water sources nurturing alternative crops was mooted by the ministerial team.
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A source in the District Agriculture Office, Chandel informed that consequent to acute shortfall of rain in the peak agricultural season, paddy plantation activity has completely ceased at sites where jhum cultivation used to be normally carried out while plantation areas located in the gentler slope/plain about 40 percent paddy plantation work are being carried out.
At Panchai village near the district headquarters, Minister Okendro conveyed to the local farmers that paddy plantation is most unlikely this season due to shortage of monsoon rains.
He, however, assured them that the Cabinet sub-committee will recommend suitable assistance under the group insurance scheme for the affected farmers while for farmlands where there is possibility to irrigate the fields, pumps would be provided at the earliest.
Conceding that the farmers are unlikely to reap fruits for their toil in the field this season, the villagers urged the Government to extend all possible assistance as well as ensure presence of agriculture department officials at the district headquarters to redress/ameliorate their woes.