SIPHRO

Sobhapati Samom

Imphal, September 1, 2008: Bamboo flowering and the subsequent rodent attack in the agricultural fields has hit more than one lakh villagers in Manipur’s Churachandpur district alone.

“The problem is compounded by the numerous landslide at various places along National Highway 150 and Guite road,” K Moi, secretary of Zomi Economic Planning and Development Agency said.

Tipaimukh and Thanlon sub-division have been cut off since the last one week due to numerous landslides, he added.

The famine hit villagers in these areas want the government to gear up the relief activities apart from opening the existing roads leading to their villages.

According to Co-ordinating Mautam Famine Aid quoting a district administration report said a total of 16,050.13 hectares of cultivated land was damaged and 1,03,558 persons from 14,307 families in 264 villages in the district bordering Myanmar and Mizoram affected.

When bamboo flowers, famine, death and destruction follow. Rats multiply at a very rapid pace after eating the protein-rich seeds that appear soon after bamboo flowering.When the seeds are exhausted, armies of rats chomp their way through other food grains, causing a famine.Bamboo grows wild in 3691.77 sq.km of Manipur’s total geographical area of 22,327 sq km. Locally known as Mautam,the bamboo flowering is concurrently affecting the contiguous areas of Mizoram as well.

Though Mizoram Government has taken up precautionary measures, Manipur is yet to do the needful. So far they’ve released only about 4,500 quintals of rice to the affected village against the requirement of over 10,000 quintals.

DC Churachandpur Sumant Singh was trying to control the situation by implementing the National Rural Employment Guarantee schemes in the affected villages. “We are yet to get the relief materials though the Centre has sanctioned a sum of Rs 16.9 crore for the State”, the secretary lamented.

In a move to help the affected villagers, a musical concert is scheduled on September 5 next under the joint initiative of the Mizo Zaimi Inzamkhawn and Zogam Artists Association.

With the theme “Concert for Hungry”, the Co-ordinating Mautaam Famine-Aid (Mautaam Puuktaw) is organizing the concert which is aimed at raising funds for helping the affected people of the four sub-divisions of Tipaimukh, Thanlon, Henglep and Singngat.

In a telephonic conversation with The Assam Tribune, the secretary said “whatever contribution received from the concert would be converted into food grain for it’s distribution to the affected areas”.

Source: Assam Tribune