Manipur Cabinet approves proposal to declare drought situation in state

The Manipur cabinet on Saturday approved a proposal to declare a "drought" situation in the state.

This decision would enable the state government to seek relief assistance from the Government of India.

"It is estimated that due to significant deficit in rainfall, drought has adversely affected the crops across 70 blocks of the state. As per initial estimates, various villages of these blocks have crop failure ranging from 33 per cent to more than 50 per cent based on which they are categoried as moderately and severely affected by drought," an official release said.

The state government in its statement said that there was 50 per cent deficit in the state in this year's rainfall and even reservoirs have more than 60 per cent deficit level.