Farmers' body questions Govt claims
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 02 2012: Inspite of the government of Manipur claiming that pump-sets have been distributed to facilitate farmers sustain agricultural activities, Nongchup Imphal Loumee-Sinmee chaokhat Thourang lup, Awang Khunou Khoyum Sabal has denied receiving any such assistance from the Government side.

speaking to newspersons on the sideline of the Lup arranging pump-sets to water paddy fields of Maklang and Ngairangbam areas today, Lup secretary Saratkumar Asem questioned authenticity of the Government claim about distribution of pump-sets to farmers with the contention that farmers of Ngairangbam and Maklang villages enduring similar problem of rain water shortage are yet to get a single pump set.

Not ruling out possibility of pump-sets set aside by the Government for the farmers being misused by the MLAs at their own discretion, the secretary demanded that as problem of rain water scarcity is a State-wide phenomenon the Government needs to ensure that pump-sets are distributed in a judicious manner with special emphasis on paddy plantation areas facing severe problem of water shortage.

Pump sets being put to work to draw water

Reminding that it is the bounden duty of the Government to provide all possible assistance to the suffering farmers, he said taking into account continuous deficiency in rainfall this season pump-sets are indispensable to enable the farmers draw water from the nearest water sources such as community ponds and rivers.

While expressing hope that the Government would initiate appropriate measures to help the farmers in distress, Saratkumar said drying up of nearly 50 hectares of paddy field at a paddy plantation site known as Maharani Loukon in between Maklang and Ngairangbam villages under Imphal West district has compelled to Lup to hire five pump-sets to water the fields.

Capitalising on the little amount of water available in the fields the farmers had ploughed and started planting paddy but there is still need for sufficient water as the plants are nearing germination period, he said with regard to the Lup initiating irrigation of the plantation site.

The five pump-sets hired at the rate of Rs 150 per hour will have to be used for about five days to adequately irrigate the fields, said the Lup secretary while informing that the water would be drawn from a pond of about 1 pari size and 15 feet deep.

One Kh Ram Singh, a local farmer applauding the Lup's initiative to irrigate the fields also informed that none of the farmers from the area had received pump-sets from the Government.

The pond at the Maharani paddy plantation site is said to be developed and run by the Lup with the Heibirok stream forming as the source of the pond water.

Stating that the pond remains adequately filled throughout the year, Ram Singh desired that the Government provide some pump-sets to overcome shortage of seasonal rainfall.