Cabinet Stops Short Of Declaring Drought In State, Ngamthang Instructs To Release Khuga Water
Cabinet resolves to resurrect River Lift Irrigation (RLI) stations
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 23 2012: The State Cabinet, after threadbare deliberations on the prevailing drought like situation, has resolved to make all River Lift Irrigation (RLI) stations functional under Minor Irrigation Department.

The Cabinet arrived at this decision at a meeting held this afternoon where the report of the Cabinet SubCommittee which made direct assessment of paddy fields was studied.

In addition to re-activating the RLI stations, MI Department would also provide the requisite fuel/diesel, said a press release issued by PPS to Chief Minister L Chongloi.

In the meantime, Agriculture Department would identify paddy fields which have no source of water other than rain and cannot be irrigated through RLI or pump sets.

The department would then make an assessment of the extent of damage and work out a proposal for adequate support measures through alternative cropping, Rabi crops or any other suitable means.

Another resolution of the Cabinet meeting was that Agriculture Department would liaise and coordinate with other departments at both State and local levels to ensure irrigation and extension services wherever feasible.

Different pics but all tell the same story of dry paddy fields due to inadequate rainfall

The meeting further agreed to review the situation in another Cabinet meeting after a week, it added.

IFC Minister : Taking serious note of the large tracts of paddy fields which remain uncultivable in Churachandpur district, IFC Minister Ngamthang Haokip has directed the relevant officials to release water from Khuga Dam through both its left and right canals by increasing the water volume to the height of eight inches from the current height of six inches.

Acting on the advice of the Chief Minister, Ngamthang Haokip today made spot inspection of the efforts to supply water to paddy fields from Khuga Dam.

The IFC Minister's inspection team included Singhat AC MLA Ginsuanhao Zou, IFCD Additional Chief Engineer Thaba Devi and other relevant officials of the department.

The team, after making a direct assessment of the water being released through the Khuga Dam canals and the benefits it gave to farmers, instructed relevant staff to stay alert in case the banks of the canal breach when water is released from the dam in full volume.

Talking to the accompanying media persons, Ngamthang Haokip said that even though the right canal is 60 Kms long, water is available only up to 8 Kms, irrigating around 3000 hectares of paddy fields in the surrounding area.

Paddy plants have been cultivated in these fields without any difficulty.

Efforts are on to release greater volume of water so that it reaches up to 20 Kms and irrigate 6000 hectares of paddy fields.

He appealed to all the people not to divert water from the canal by digging its banks midway as it leads to wastage of huge volumes of water.

Water released through the left canal reaches only up to 4 Kms.

In order to extend its range at least up to 6 Kms and irrigate around 1000 hectares of paddy fields, a DPR has been sent to the Central Water Commission.

The IFC Minister further instructed relevant officials to raise low embankments of both the canals so that water can be released from the dam in full volume and reaches desired destinations without any wastage midway.