Manipur Water Resources Minister Letpao Haokip informed that the State Government has taken up an ambitious plan to meet any kind of devastation caused by floods.
The Minister, however, informed that the ongoing Assembly on Tuesday that but it is restricted to the availability of the fund.
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Letpao was replying to a question by opposition Congress MLA Md Abdul Nasir during the question hour.
The areas have been identified on priority basis and will be taken up in phased manner as per availability of fund, he added.
Repairing of Lilong Atoukhong canal and providing sluice gate is under consideration as and when the fund will be available, he added.
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“We are also concerned about it so the Government will take necessary steps,” he said.
Unseasonal rain and hailstorm during the harvest season of November and December last year had also caused heavy damage to 451 hectares of rice fields in Manipur.
Such unpredicted rains have left behind a trail of destruction across the ready to harvest rice fields in the State particularly in Bishnupur and Imphal East districts.
The year 2017 has emerged as a year of frequent floods and landslide in Manipur due to unseasonal and intense rainfall since May-end. It led to floods across the State, in hills and valley districts as well till the year-end.
Low-lying areas in Manipur valley comprising five districts – Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Kakching and Thoubal – known as rice bowl of the State – were inundated for long period of time.
The hill districts faced landslides and were cut-off from the rest of the country. Senapati, a hill district, faced the worst-ever flood in the last three decades, according to residents.
Huge areas of agricultural land measuring around 85,000 hectares were badly affected and a large number of bridges, roads, schools, etc, were also damaged.
Around 20 persons also lost their lives. The total damage inflicted by the floods in Manipur has been estimated at Rs 223.83 crore which further increased to Rs 358.23 crore.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh-led government reviewed the situation and urged the Centre to declare the flood situation as ‘calamity of severe nature.’
Reports in local media said the production of paddy in the State has been reduced to about 2,43,360 tonnes despite the introduction of short duration rice varieties. The state produced 6,45,600 tonnes of rice in 2016.