There have been accusations against the Manipur Government of siphoning off loads of urea to the hill districts to grow poppy, illegally as urea is the main requisite for the fast growth of the plant leading to acute scarcity of government-controlled fertilisers. Now, accusations seem to hold some water.
TFM Report
When demand for fertilizers was at peak for paddy cultivation in valley areas during monsoon, Manipur witnessed acute scarcity of government-controlled fertilisers, like urea. Even a farmer lost his life in a road mishap while rushing to procure a bag of fertilizer.
There have been accusations against the Manipur Government of siphoning off loads of urea to the hill districts to grow poppy, illegally as urea is the main requisite for the fast growth of the plant. Now, accusations seem to hold some water. A combined team, which carried out a drive to destroy the poppy plantation at K Hengjang Hill range recently, stumbled on some bags of urea and other chemical fertilizers left behind after sowing poppy seeds.
NAB SP K Meghachandra who led the combined team, said nine bags each of urea and potash and five bags of DAP were seized during the drive.
The combined team comprising column of Somrei Assam Rifles post; Indian Reserve Battalion, Manipur Rifles, district commando Imphal East and Imphal West; Maphou Dam Police Station; a team of Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB) destroyed poppy plants spreading across over 50 acres. The drive was conducted under the supervision of DIG Range-I Themthing Ngasangva.
Speaking to the media through a video clip, Meghachandra has said as per police department’s estimate, about 4,000 to 5,000 acres of poppy plants are cultivated in a year. However, after seeing the poppy plantations at K Henjang hill range, the areas of poppy plantations may have been even larger and it could be about 15,000 to 20,000 acres in a year, he added.
During the drive at K Henjang hill range just seven to eight km away from Keithelmanbi, the combined team found poppy plantations being carried out in an area extending over 1000 acres, said Meghachandra. However, the plantation could not be destroyed as most of the plants are very small and leaf initiation stage. Another operation will be conducted at the same spot so that no poppy plants are left out, he added.
Reaction to development, Loumee Shinmee Apun Lup (LOUSHAL), a farmers’ body president Mutum Churamani reiterated its demand for setting up of a high-level inquiry committee to probe into the mismanagement of urea fertiliser distribution in Manipur. Based on their findings, the enquiry committee has to recommend measures to ensure the enforcement of a farmer-friendly urea distribution system, he added.
Mutum Churamani had alleged that loads of urea had been siphoned off to the hill districts to grow poppy, illegally. He said that the valley has roughly an area of 1 lakh plus hectares out of the total 1,95,000 hectares of arable land of the state. “So, if we get three bags of urea per hectare, we need around 3 lakh bags only, total allotment for the state is 4,40,000 bags. We have a surplus of more than 1,40,000 bags. Why are we having a hard time getting urea? Farmers are not getting fertilizer but the drug cartels are getting it,” he said, adding the government’s war on drugs stance is farcical.
LOUSHAL had even submitted a representation to the Parliamentary Standing Committee, Chemicals and Fertilizers providing necessary data on agricultural land, as per the Agriculture and Horticulture Department, Government of Manipur.
As per the LOUSHAL’s representation, there are 1,95,000 hectares of existing paddy land in the state (hills and valley); area used for jhuming and terrace cultivation in hill area — 88,820 hectares (which does not require urea fertilizer); area covered in valley for organic cultivation by Manipur Organic Mission Agency — 9,000 hectares (which does not require urea fertilizer); waterlogging area in valley area — 20,000 hectares (which does not require urea fertilizer); and area of existing paddy land in the valley — 77,180 hectares (which require urea fertilizer).
In the representation, LOUSHAL said that the actual urea requirement for kharif crops (paddy cultivation) of the state is currently 2,31,540 bags or 10.42 tons of urea. Although the state’s demand for urea was for the existing paddy land in the state (1,95,000 hectares), the union government allotted 4,40,000 bags which is more than double the requirement.
Congress Jairam Ramesh had even accused BJP-led Manipur government under chief minister N Biren Singh of diverting urea for poppy plantations
In a tweet captioned “BJP’s Vikas in Manipur”, Ramesh had written: “Manipur is getting TWICE the supply of urea it needs and yet farmers complain of shortage! Why?
“Because urea is diverted to hill areas in Manipur, where poppy is being grown for opium in large areas in the last 4 yrs. The State Govt is fully complicit in this.”