Imphal, June 22 2010: A considerable quantity of paddy seedlings nurtured for the next season has been destroyed as the campus of Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) located at Lamphelpat has been inundated by water gushing in from the overflowing Nambul river and surrounding canals.

Consequent upon this, farmers are apprehensive that they may face shortage of paddy seedlings this season.

Flood water which gushed into the campus in the intervening night of June 9 and 10 submerged paddy seedlings of RCM variety.

The flood also caused major damages to horticulture and plant breeding nursery farms, fish ponds, dairy and poultry sheds, seed storage units as well as research farms.

Talking to The Sangai Express, an ICAR official said that a large quantity of indigenous germ plasm developed by ICAR under Horticulture Mission has been destroyed by the flood.

A large number of fingerlings of rare varieties of fish have also been swept by the flood water.

With the cow sheds also inundated, cows reared in ICAR have been shifted to Langol for the time being.

Because of the flood, the Poultry Seed Project has also been seriously hampered.

Office rooms and staff quarters are still in deluge, informed the official while drawing attention of the Government to take up all possible measures to drain out the flood water which is not flowing out on its own.

Responding to a query, the official said that seedlings of RCM-7, 8 and 9 and RC Maniphou-10 paddy varieties were specially developed at ICAR Lamphelpat for next Kharif season.

But all the efforts have gone in vain as flood water has destroyed the seedlings.

Meanwhile, ACOAM-Lup has distributed food items to the flood people of Lamphel Yaipha Leikai.

Around 65 houses of the locality have been flooded.

ACOAM-Lup distributed rice, dal and other materials to the affected families today.

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