Bishnupur farmers fear wastage of paddy seeds
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 02 2021:
As the state continues to receive inadequate rainfall even though it is already first week of July, many farmers in Bishnupur district are still unable to till their paddy fields or sow seeds due to absence of water, thus putting them in a hapless situation and wondering if drought is imminent this year, stated Communist Party of India (CPI), Manipur state.
In a statement, CPI Manipur state said that due to scanty rainfall received in the state so far paddy fields remain dry and water flowing down from hills has been significantly reduced due to lack of rainfall.
Vast tract of paddy fields from Kumbi to Oinam-Nambol in Bishnupur district have no water at all even as sowing season is about to lapse.
As such, farmers of these areas are now forced to sow seeds on dry paddy fields locally known as Punghun.
These farmers are also fearful of wasting their seeds as Punghun method has less chance of growing seeds and many farmers lost their seeds in previous season with this method of sowing paddy seeds, the statement said, adding that the worse affected areas are paddy fields on eastern and western sides of Tiddim road from Ningthoukhong to Kumbi.
Proper ploughing and traditional way of sowing seeds in these paddy fields could be done if water is supplied from Loktak Lift Irrigation through Moirang Low level canal, the CPI Manipur state statement said, while appealing to authority concerned to take immediate steps to provide irrigation water to these paddy fields.
It also appealed to MLAs of Moirang, Kumbi and Thanga assembly segments to look into the matter seriously.