November rain multiplies farmers' woes
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 18 2023:
From dearth of rainfall during plantation time to exposure of paddy stacks to water during the harvesting season, the fate of several farmers in Manipur hangs in balance as they witness both flood and drought like situation this season.
Several farmers planted their saplings by pumping water from rivers and other water sources amid the violent conflict in Manipur, but their luck takes a different turn at a time they are about to reap the fruit of their hard labour as water started gathering in the fields where several farmers have gathered their paddy stalks using tarpaulins to cover them from rain.
Notably, the State has been witnessing sudden rainfall from November 16 onwards and the same has become a major setback to the farmers as accumulation of water in paddy fields hinders the harvesting process to a great extent.
Given the change in weather lately, many farmers rushed to gather their paddy stacks and covered them with tarpaulins to prevent damage by rain.
The farmers, however, didn't anticipate the rain to last this long and many of them didn't take other precautions.
It is said that the paddy stacks will get ruined if they are exposed to water for a prolonged period and it will disturb the threshing process even if machines are used.
The situation will be more catastrophic in those fields which don't have space to release the accumulated water.
The sudden downpour has also increased the chances of ruining the unharvested fields even if the rain stops as many of them have been inundated by a foot or two.
Notably, wet paddy stacks are unfit for threshing and as such the farmers are likely to wait for the fields to dry up.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, Sougrakpam Tomba, a farmer from from Meijrao, said that he spent additional money in crop plantation this year as he pumped water from Nambul River on multiple occasions due to insufficient rainfall.
Saying that he expected bountiful harvest as the crops grew well earlier, Tomba added that the sudden rainfell, however, has become a bane to him as the place where he gathered his paddy stacks has been inundated by about 1.5 foot.
It will take time to release the water from the field even if the rain stops, he said and added that his dream of a bountiful harvest has been shattered by the unexpected pouring for three days.