Farmers sought government intervention
Due to scarcity of rainfall in Manipur, farmers of Nongchup Sanjenbam, Sekmai have sought concerned authorities’ attention as they fear they may not be able to harvest about 70 per cent of the paddy planted.
They said that most of the crops in the fields could not survive as the agricultural lands in the valley area drying up due to scanty of rainfall received this year. In view of it, farmers of Nongchup Sanjenbam, Sekmai AC have urged the concerned authorities to look into the matter.
Speaking to media person, farmers said that paddy fields of Nongchup Sanjenbam of Sekmai AC have dried since the starting of the cultivation. There was good rainfall during pre-monsoon period but was scanty during monsoon season thus resulting in the shortage of required amount of water for sufficient irrigation of the paddy fields, the farmer said.
Raising their grievances, Kh Sunita Devi, secretary of the Meira Paibi (Local women group) of the area, Sanjenbam Apunba Meira Paibi Lup (SAMPAL), said they informed the sub-divisional agriculture officer (SDAO) of Sekmai on October 7 that they could not harvest 70 per cent of paddy at Nongchup Sanjenbam. They appealed to the authorities concerned to look into the matter. But they received no response and no action has been taken up by the authorities concerned to address their plight, she added.
As farmers struggled to cope with the devastation of their crops and paddy fields, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday (October 31) appealed to farmers of Manipur to use their paddy fields for growing vegetables after the harvesting of rice and not let the fields lie fallow after the harvesting season.
CM Biren assured that the government will ensure agricultural requirements of the farmers, including seeds and water. He further assured that setting up a special sub-committee comprising Agriculture, IFCD, Horticulture, Minor Irrigation and others to look into the issue of lack of irrigation water during the dry season faced by the farmers in the state.
