Bleak harvest stares at farmers of Yaralpat Loupham
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 01 2026: Farmers of Yaralpat Loupham under Kshetrigao Constituency in Imphal East are likely to miss this year's Kharif harvest as prolonged inundation of the field has destroyed crops at the flowering stage.

The farmers had begun transplanting paddy last month despite inadequate rainfall by pumping water from the nearby river and other initiatives.

However, heavy rainfall in the latter part of July inundated the paddy fields, submerging the crops.

According to local farmers, the floodwater rose to chest level of an adult at its peak, leaving vast stretches of farmland underwater for over 20 days.

Bleak harvest stares at farmers of Yaralpat Loupham

Although the water level has gradually receded, large portions of the paddy fields remain waterlogged till today.

The prolonged inundation has caused extensive damage to the crop, with many paddy plants dying after they had reached the flowering stage.

According to the farmers, Yaralpat Loupham has lately become a flood-prone area, with its farmland often inundated two or three times a year.

They alleged that the dam constructed near Nahabam Makhapat and Gurupat has become a major factor contributing to poor drainage, preventing water from flowing from the farmland to Iril River.

The farmers also said that the dam has failed to serve its intended purpose and has instead aggravated flooding.

As some portions of the dam are elevated, the drainage of water from the farmland into the river takes a much longer time, they said.

Yumnam Amarjit, a farmer, appealed to the Government to take necessary measures to prevent frequent flooding at Yaralpat Loupham.

He also urged the authorities to dredge the canal connecting the farmland with Iril River to improve drainage.

Stating that Yaralpat Loupham is prone to flooding, Amarjit said that they suffered losses last year too as their crops got damaged due to prolonged waterlogging.

The farmers are uncertain whether they could continue with the plantation as they do not know when the water would recede.