Hailstorms continue, crops destroyed

Imphal, Oct 26: Hailstorms continued to destroy crops in Manipur.

For the past one week hailstorm and strong wind had been wrecking havoc, thus destroying crops in parts of the state when the time to reap the labour had just come.

Earlier, the hailstorm struck Chandel, Senapati, Thoubal districts. Reports of hailstorm in other districts have also been reported.

Hailstorms destroyed crops at Sadar hill areas of Senapati district and it also struck at Andro and Yairipok of Imphal East.

S Chandra, MLA, accompanied by local officials also inspected the paddy fields yesterday officials said. Chandra said the agricultural lands had also been submerged under water and officials further said the villages affected at Imphal east were Sanapat, Huikap, Andro, Poirou, Machengpat, Nongpok Loukon, Top Chingtha, Inamung Loukon, Uyumpok etc.

Oklong Village Authority of Senapati district said after the earlier strike by hailstorm other unaffected villages were also badly damaged by fresh hailstorm. The villages were Kanem, Maryram, Makui Longdi Rajaimei, Oklong etc. At Chandel district more than 100 villages were affected by the hailstorm.

Rocky, Secretary of the M Ningthoupham Village Authority, Senapati, had also informed that the entire crop of his area was destroyed by the strong wind. Rocky and other leaders of various organisations have demanded assistance from the government as single cropping is followed in most parts of the state specially in the hill areas.

In the hill areas agricultural works were done painstakingly and the method was terrace cultivation, officials said. Agricultural officials have assured to assess the losses and do what ever they can to mitigate the problems of the poor problems.

UNI