Manipur experiences extreme below-normal precipitation and there is no water in most paddy fields for the early phase of crop cultivation due to a water shortage, says AIMS director Atom Sunil Singh.
TFM Desk
Apunha Imagi Machasing (AIMS), Manipur has urged the governor of Manipur to exercise emergency measures to save lives from possible drought even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hit the state hard.
AIMS, in a release issued on Thursday, said that COVID-19 has brought suffering to all, but the drought situation in Manipur will further worsen the situation. There is an urgent need to control the drought-like situation. “It is high time to exercise emergency measures to save lives from drought in Manipur”, it added.
The release mentioned that Manipur falls under the climate group of “Cwa” according to the world’s climatic division classified by Koeppen. “So, Manipur experiences the subtropical monsoon climate with heavy precipitation during the rainy season. The rains herald the beginning of agricultural activities” says AIMS.
“Agriculture is essential not only because it provides food for the people of Manipur but also for the employment it gives. Over 70 percent of the total population of Manipur directly or indirectly depend on agriculture for their sustenance”.
AIMS also highlighted that over two-thirds of the main workers in Manipur are engaged in agriculture as cultivators and agricultural workforce. About nine-tenths of the total cultivated area produces cereals, mainly rice.
AIMS director Atom Sunil Singh informed that the average annual rainfall of Manipur is 1,881 mm. However, according to world weather online, Manipur received only 242.6 mm to date. It shows that Manipur experiences extreme below-normal precipitation. There is no water in the paddy fields for crop cultivation due to a water shortage, he added.