IMPHAL, October 27: Farmers of Heirok today strongly condemned and placed a ban on construction of Heirok branch canal stating that the canal can create more grievances for the famers in future.
Addressing media persons today at the Manipur Press Club, T Manglem secretary Heirok Loumee Kanba Lup Heirok Manipur said that farmers of Heirok will face several grievances after completion of the 100 feet wide canal construction which will connect Thoubal Multipurpose Project to Heirok’s vast paddy field.
He lamented that the Heirok branch canal of Thoubal left main canal of Thoubal Multipurpose project will crisscross through many precious paddy fields of Leironghtel, Chandrakhong, Kakmayai, Sekmai Khumbi, Ukhongshang, as well as Salungpham, Heirok, Wangjing and Khongjom paddy fields including several houses and gardens.
Concern with the affect, the canal will have on the lives of the people, a public meeting was held at the tetra-junction road Heirok, with Heirok pradhan presiding on September 22, he said.
The public meeting adopted few resolutions against the land acquisition process of the government for the construction of the canal including total ban of the construction, said T Manglem.
He also expressed about the ill-fate of farmers due to the Loktak project.
He elaborated that the Loktak Project was instituted with several promises citing it will improve the power supply, proper compensation for land acquisition etc.
However, in total contrary to the promises, vast areas of agricultural land were submerged in water, while many farmers are yet to be compensated.
Instead of improving the power supply, outsider companies had taken control over the project, he said.
T Manglem continued that Heirok paddy field is the largest paddy field in the state which produces enough grain for the days, but with the construction of canal vast area will be lost.
In the past, we have seen many disadvantages of the Thoubal Multipurpose Project’s left canal that failed to provide water to the Charangpat branch canal when needed, he said before adding that the canal provides water only in the rainy season.
Not a single drop of water from the Thoubal left canal has reached fields at Uyan, Wangban and Lamding Cherapur fields since the past 15 years, he said.
The canal is full of grasses inside canal with dry, and access of water make flood during the rainy season from the canal, he said and added that sometime farmers try to cut off the main road to drain the water from their fields in order to save the grain during harvesting period.
He further appealed to the concern authorities to stop land acquisition for construction of this canal.