Minister joins canal clearance work
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 22 2012:
Under the overall supervision of Social Welfare Minister and Patsoi assembly constituency representative AK Mirabai Devi local farmers of the assembly segment today carried out Abulok stream/canal clean-up works in order to facilitate irrigation of the fields.
Along with the Minor Irrigation Chief Engineer M shyambabu, Minister Mirabai and local farmers assessed condition of Abulok canal.
In addition to the farmers clearing weeds/grasses from various section of the canal, an excavator was used to dredge the shallow portions.
The canal originates from Kangchup Chiru hill range and runs through Phayeng and Heibongpokpi areas.
At Heibongpokpi, the Minister instructed MI Department officials to open up the sluice gate of a small dam, reportedly constructed by the Department under the Accelerated Irrigation Beneficiary Programme, to ensure smooth flow of the water.
From Heibongpokpi, the water would be channelled upto Pungjao Makhong point of the canal via Haorang Keirel from where distribution of water to the surrounding fields could be facilitated, Minister Mirabai told some newspersons who were accompanying the inspection team.
Informing that Cabinet Sub Committee had already undertaken relevant measures for irrigating paddy cultivation sites in view of acute shortage of rainfall in the peak agriculture season, Mirabai also maintained that for Patsoi areas restoration of irrigation networks had commenced about a week back.
On top of the ongoing canal clean-up works, all possible resources and irrigation assistance from the Agriculture Department would be utilised to draw water from the Nambul river in order to facilitate the farmers begin paddy plantation activities, affirmed the Minister.