Crop failure : Lilong farmers stare at grim prospect
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 19 2017: Farmers of Lilong area are staring at a grim prospect as a result of the floods that ravaged many agriculture land this year.

About 4500 acres of paddy fields in Lilong Assembly Constituency have failed.

Besides, most of the standing crops failed to yield.

The area has been affected by flood thrice .

In this situation, the hapless farmers crying for Government's help.

Many of the farmers who took loans from Manipur Rural Bank under Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme are seemingly more worried on how to repay the loans .

Some of the most affected locations in the AC are Lilong Karampat Loukol, Lilong Tharoipokpi Loukol, Lilong Nganglou Loukol and Lilong Dolaithabi Loukol .

Crop failure : Lilong farmers stare at grim prospect

At present, large portions of the paddy fields are still left barren/empty after the farmers' repeated attempts to plant rice turned futile as floods submerged the paddy fields thrice in the area .

Mention may be made here that many parts of Lilong A/C had been inundated as floods occurred repeatedly due to breaching of Imphal River at different points .

A team of media persons while inspecting the area along with members of some farmers' bodies and clubs in Lilong found the paddy fields in a barren state .

Talking to media persons, Lilong Karampat Loukol Farmers' Club chief coordinator Md Firoz Khan decried that the State Government and Central Government have not provided any assistance till today even after farmers’ clubs and organizations submitted memorandum to the State Government .

He informed that around Rs 7,000 to 8,000 had been spent per sangam by farmers and the crops in the fields have died multiple times as flood waters submerged the paddy fields thrice.

Asserting that the points in the memorandum to the Government included waiving of loans to the farmers under KCC scheme, Firoz lamented that the farmers face immense hardship as their major source of livelihood has been cut off by the flood.

Their worries have been added as they have no means to find ways to repay the loans .

He also belittled the assistance from the State Government at the time of flood occurrences saying only about 250 gram of rice have been received per individual and lamented that the present MLA of Lilong AC does not pay any heed to their hues and cries.