IMPHAL, September 15: The North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF) in collaboration with Social Youth Development Organization; People for Human Right and Climate Change (PHRCC) and Environment Conservation Network organized a public meeting cum rally on Rights of Farmer and Climate Change at Kakching Khunou, Thoubal district today.
Conveying this in a statement, the People`™s for Human Rights & Climate Change said as all the people of the State especially farmers had experienced the pattern of changing climate in terms of increase in temperature, change in rainfall patterns, etc the agricultural sector has been affected ever since.
In the year 2013, the Government of Manipur had introduced the Manipur State Action Plan on Climate Change but the concerned department has not yet able to implement the same in the State. The government has failed to act upon the difficulties being faced by the people in the State. More than 70 percent of the agricultural land depends on the monsoon rain but due the changing pattern, farmers are facing serious problem concerning their agricultural products, it lamented.
The change is happening due to the unplanned activities by many multinational companies, governmental sectors, etc resulting in manmade disaster. Here the poor persons, daily wage earners, farmers, fishermen etc only suffer, the statement pointed out.
In the recent flood in the State, Thoubal district was reported to be the worst affected with a record of 19,164 hac of land getting destroyed by the flood water which poured out from the Thoubal River, but the sad part is that the total cultivable land in the district is 21,650 hectares.
In the State, only 1, 95,000 hectares of land are being used for the rice cultivation out of the 23, 00, 000 hectares of cultivable land. Unfortunately this year, 34,960 hectares of cultivable land were affected due to the flash flood. It is to remind that 75 percent of Manipur population is depend on the agriculture and this year, the people will face a serious food crisis and also for the next food yield. Due to the recent flood, many farmers are worried about their livelihood and their food products. The Central government had released a sum of Rs. 8.4 crore but how far the released fund had been benefitted by the affected people is yet to be known, it stated.
Urging the people to coup up with the government to implement the Manipur State Action Plan on Climate Change to meet the need at the earliest, the PHRCC in the statement demanded the government to fulfil certain points.
The demands include implementation of Manipur State Action Plan on Climate Change, halt to construction of mega dam, introduction of short term crop which can easily harvest within two/three months as an alternative arrangement for the people of the State, protection of the agricultural lands, immediate publication of the action plan for the coming ten years and few others, the statement informed.
Today`™s public meeting was attended by retired assistant teacher of Kakching Khunou Government High School Kh Tejmar Singh; retired headmaster of the school M Khomdon Singh and retired assistant teacher M Chandramani Singh as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
While convener of NEDF U Nobokishwor Singh; coordinator of Centre for Social Development U Jenison and secretary of Social Upliftment & Rural Education L Ibotombi Singh were present as resource persons.