AIMS urges Guv to take up drought control measures
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 08 2021:
Apunba Imagi Machashing (AIMS), Manipur has urged the Governor to take up "emergency measures" to control drought, expressing fear that suffering brought by the COVID-19 pandemic will become worse because of the "drought situation" in the state.
In a press release issued Thursday, AIMS while urging the Governor to "exercise emergency measures to save lives from drought," pointed out that Manipur falls under the climate group of 'Cwa' according to the world's climate division for which the state experiences sub-tropical monsoon climate with heavy precipitation during the rainy season.
The rains herald the beginning of agricultural activities which is essential not only because it provides food for the people of Manipur but also for the employment its gives.
Over 70 percent of the total population of Manipur directly or indirectly depend on agriculture for sustenance.
Over two- third of the main workers in Manipur are engaged in agriculture as cultivators and agricultural labourers.
About nine-tenth of the total cultivated area is under cereal production, mainly rice, it said.
Citing world weather online, AIMS further said that the average annual rainfall of Manipur is 1,881mm but the state has received only 242.6mm to date.
This shows that Manipur experiences extreme below-normal precipitation as there is no water in the paddy fields for crop production due to water shortage, it added.
The organisation then said that COVID-19 has brought suffering to all but the drought situation in Manipur will further deepen the socio-economic crisis as it called for urgent action to control the drought, adding that it is high time to exercise emergency measures to save lives from drought in the state.