Late scanty rains conceal state's real drought situation
Central team inspects 'wet' fields
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, August 21 2009: Late scanty rainfall is almost playing a spoilsport on the prospects of Manipur getting relief from the Centre, as being badly hit by drought.

Inter-ministerial team led by Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operation, Dilip Nath has begun spot inspection of drought affected fields in the state from today.

The five member delegation, divided into two teams, conducted spot inspection in five districts of the state today.

Central officials inspecting paddy fields which were earlier parched but now filled with water from very late rainfall

One team comprising Joint Secretary Dilip Nath, accompanied by state Agriculture Director, RK Noyonsana and her subordinate officials visited paddy fields affected by drought in Imphal West, Tamenglong and Senapati districts.

The team took stock of the drought situation of the fields at Meitram, Malom, Bamdiyar, Ngakra Kom and New Keithelmanbi villages in Imphal West district, fields at Haoleijang of Noney and Makhuan of Tamenglong district and fields at Taphou and Keithelmanbi in Senapati district.

The team did not find any field which remained uncultivated due to shortage of water, paddy plants were growing in all the fields, though the plants had been recently transplanted.

In some fields, paddy plants were seen fully grown.

Even though, the paddies are seen growing well, officials of the state Agriculture Department told the Central team that due to late season, it is next to impossible that the paddy produce will be as good as in past years.

Farmers also informed the Central officials that they have cultivated the fields with huge expenditure.

They spend at least Rs 3000 in cultivating an acre of land.

They did not get any kind of assistant from the government side in cultivating the fields.

They have also sowed black dal (sagol hawai) in the fields which could not grow paddy, the farmers told.

They also told that the seed sown by them was bought from the market.

In this regard, officials of the state agriculture department said farmers might have bought as they could not get the same distributed free of cost by the department.

They also said that seeds could not be reached in Tamenglong district due to frequent bandhs and blockades.

The team led by Dilip Nath and comprising secretary of department of drinking water supply, SK Verma and Technical officer DAHD C Sen will conduct spot visit at Bishnupur and Churachnadpur district tomorrow.

The other Central inter-ministerial team comprising state officials conduct the field visit in Imphal east and Ukhrul today.

They inspected paddy fields at Khabeisoi, Eshirou, Kangla Sagolmsang, Nongada, Tellou, Leimakhong.

On the seeing the dwarf paddy plants in the fields asked whether it will bear fruit to the state agriculture officers.

In reply to the query, state officials said, as the season has been too late, it is hard to believe of getting fruits.

In Manipur, usually all cultivation works is to be completed by June and upto last week of July at the late.

Otherwise, paddy plant could not bear fruit.