Imphal, June 29 2009: The Agriculture and Minor Irrigation Minister, L Loken said today that the Agriculture department has procured 300 water pumps to confront the drought situation.

He said the water pumps have been acquired as part of realisation of the promises he had made to the people earlier.

Minister L Loken was speaking while handing over four River Lift Irrigation Schemes under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) to Komlakhong, Phabakchao, Tera Makhong and Tabung Kamnanidi villages under Mayang Imphal Assembly constituency.

Loken said the water pumps will be availed to farmers through local MLAs and no individual would be issued the same.

He also urged the beneficiaries of the four RLI schemes to use it constructively.

One such scheme is supposed to irrigate more than 40 'paris' of cultivable land.

The Minister said that the government is only providing the water pumps and pump houses under the scheme while adding that the responsibility over the maintenance of the water pumps will rest on the users' community.

However, as the state has been declared 'drought-hit' the Minor Irrigation department will provide facilities for the maintenance of the scheme for fifteen days.

Out of the 150 RLI schemes to be implemented in the state, 80 have been executed successfully.

The remaining schemes will also be implemented soon, the Minister said.

Loken said the MI department will play a major role in irrigating the fields while also saying that the government has also taken up measures to provide 'seeds' to a thousand hectares of land.

L Loken further added that the Union Agriculture Minister does not approve of the declaration of the state as 'drought-hit' saying that monsoon rain will come.

Speaking on the occasion, local MLA and chairman of MANITRON Kh Ratan urged the people to try to gain maximum benefit out of the scheme.

He also said that efforts will be made for other cultivable land of the area affected by the drought situation.

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