Farmers in Manipur, a state dependent on adequate monsoon for cultivation and a good harvest, are faced with a worrying reality of climate change, apart from the communal violence that has hampered all farming activities in the state.
The farmers in the state fear they may not be able to plant rice and other crops this year as the water level in most rivers of the state is dwindling owing to the effects of climate change that is fast advancing in the region.
Streams and rivulets in the state too show sharp decline in volume and pose serious threat to farmers as several paddy fields depend on water from these water sources.
Low volume of river water coupled with late arrival of monsoon in various areas of the state further worsened the plight of the farmers as many arable fields are yet to be cultivated for want of adequate water supply needed to grow paddy plants.
It may be mentioned that several fields in the region lack irrigation facilities, which is why most farmers in the state largely depend on natural water sources or a good and timely monsoon for proper cultivation and good harvest.
One Ninganung HAS, a farmer from Chingai village in Manipur's North of Ukhrul district, told this Imphal Free Press correspondent that he had missed 350 tins of rice from at his paddy field due to inadequate rainfall. In the absence of water there is no way forward to cultivate rice crops, he said.
The 40-year-old farmer lamented that life wouldn't be the same again with his family staring at a bleak future.
“Uninterrupted flow of river water has made it possible for us to cultivate rice crops and harvest enough in the years gone by without any difficulties. But the situation has changed due to the shrinking of river water,” he said.
The region has been witnessing partial rain but the volume is way “too less” for any agriculture activities, he said, adding that the pattern of rain has changed drastically over the years and this has been the main issue affecting farmers to a great extent.
"Failure of one-year crops meant a world for a poor farmer like me who depends much on its produce for sustaining the family," a visibly emotional Ninganung expressed.
Echoing similar sentiments, Ruth Padou, a farmer of Phaipung Khunou under Senapati district, told this Imphal Free Press correspondent that poor rainfall had rendered her family with no hope for harvest with 500 tins worth of arable plot of field yet to be cultivated.
"I pray that the monsoon hits the region sooner than later so that my family don't go hungry. For a poor farmer like me, a timely monsoon is the only hope. I have no other means to feed my children as agriculture is my family's main source of living,” she said.
She continued that like her family there are scores of families who had not planted any rice crops due to massive decline in the water level of rivers.
Recalling the past year’s harvest production, the 50-year-old Ruth maintained that in the recent past, her family could easily manage to harvest enough production and generate more income to support the family.
“This year, the weather has drastically changed and the unpredictable nature of climate change has increased the woes of several farmers as the production of the agricultural fields solely depends on timely rain,” she lamented.
Total dependence on monsoon being the aged-old practice for agricultural activities in the state, success and failure of cultivation depend on the timely arrival of monsoon, she further said.
Rice plants have already matured and are due for transplantation. But with no water to irrigate our fields, late arrival of monsoon will have disastrous consequences in the production, she added while elaborating on the current crisis facing the farmers in the state.
Commenting on the current crisis facing the farmers, one Khashim Marzah, whose paddy field shares close proximity with Padou, said that many acres of land, including his own plot worth 250 tins still hasn't received a drop of water as streams from where water is sourced has no water due to poor rainfall.
The said field called Ashasha Apo in local Tangkhul dialect has an annual turnover of around 1,000-tin worth rice, he maintained.
The field is located very close to the national highway 102 which connects Manipur's neighbouring state Nagaland, through Talui-Tadui and Pfzerou road.
In the recent past, most of the field in the said area has faced the brunt of water scarcity with a few exceptions.
There are several paddy fields in the North of Ukhrul district which have been left unattended for paucity of water to irrigate the field.
It is worth mentioning that even in the immediate surroundings, distribution of rainfall is quite uneven with certain areas receiving more while others were left untouched.
Widespread forest fire and massive cutting down of trees for domestic or commercial purposes and development projects with the expansion of urbanization have also hugely impacted the forest cover and resulted in degradation of forests.
Large-scale destruction of forests has a direct bearing on water sources in addition to affecting natural habitat of flora and fauna.
With the change of weather condition in the region which was once known for cooler climes, humidity is also reportedly on the rise.
Climate change is here to stay with its impact slowly but steadily making inroads in daily life. For an agriculture-based community like Manipur where crop failure and success hinges on river water and timely monsoon, a holistic approach to an ongoing climate induced global warming must be worked out to prevent large-scale destruction.
Technical know-how is another urgent area where farmers could be educated in sync with the respective areas or local rivers system or traditional knowledge system.
Therefore, taking a cue from the ongoing predicaments and given the unpredictable nature of rainfall or the changing weather condition, there is an urgent need for a viable alternative to tide over the pressing crisis facing the farmers of the state.
Robust irrigation could be one of the keys to improving farming which many fields lack. There is a need to set in a strong irrigation system for proper irrigation of fields for the farmers to ensure a good yield every year.
Considering the changing climatic condition and the lack of irrigation facilities for most farmers, both in the hills and valley, a holistic approach on the part of the state government would go a long way towards improving the irrigation system and bring rich dividends to the farmers community of the state which is now hit hard by communal violence that started on May 3 and grappling with the persisting crisis situation. It may be mentioned that the outbreak of communal violence in the state has rendered thousands of farmers homeless and displaced and the agricultural sector has been severely hit.
