IMPHAL, Aug 2 � The drought-like situation in Manipur seems to have improved slightly as the State received normal rainfall in the last one week.
Chief Minister Okram Ibobi had earlier said that the State received 63% of annual rainfall this season and hence it would not be right to declare �drought� in the State.
Manipur was declared drought-hit State in the year 2009 when it received only 43 per cent of the annual rainfall.
Notwithstanding the immediate demand for declaration of drought in Manipur by various NGOs and All Manipur Progressive Farmers� Association (AMPFA), the Manipur government had decided to provide urea at subsidised rates and monitor the rainfall pattern and its status.
The State government finally took up the initiative to supply water to paddy fields in Bishnupur district through the Loktak Lift Irrigation (LI) project.
