With Manipur experiencing deficit rainfall, the agriculture department of the state is all set to purchase 100 water pumps as its first measure to tackle possible draught in the state. The department will also maintain a hybrid rice nursery spread 11 hectares to provide high yielding rice variety saplings to needy farmers in the state. 
Manipur agriculture minister, V. Hangkhanlian said that the draught parameters in the state has not reach a level where the government can officially declare the state as drought hit.  However there is a high chance that the state will experience drought,  the minister added. 
 As a preparatory measures, agriculture department had already apprised the chief minister to allocate special funds from planning department to purchase 100 water pumps which will be supplied to farmers to irrigate their fields.
Since farmers in the state are not in a position to prepare a rice nursery due to scanty rainfall, agriculture department have decided to maintain a  rice nursery of 11 hectares at fields under Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and 1 hectare under Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Thoubal district.The said nursery will be prepared using the latest methods of nursery preparation where 100 square meter of nursery will be able to provide saplings for 1 hectare. 
Dispelling the growing fear among the farmers of a acute shortage of fertilizerrs, the minister said that two lakhs 90,000 bags of fertilizers is in stock with the department and another 50,000 bags will reach the state very soon.
Further,  the minister informed that a survey team is presently conducting a survey to see the situation of the paddy fields in different areas. Accordingly the area of the nursery can also be increased to meet the demands. To avoid any leakage while distributing the fertilizers, it will be distributed as per land records and Adhaar cards of the farmers. 
The minister appealed to the farmers in the state should not panic under the prevailing condition because the agriculture department is prepared to take up necessary steps to tackle the looming drought situation and to supply adequate fertilizers to them. 
Enumerating few farmer benefit schemes undertaken by the agriculture department, state director of the department, Laltanpuii Vanchhawng said, “Under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, 460 number of water harvesting ponds, 1388 sprinkle sets, 30 micro storage and 50 drainage network has already been supplied and implemented in the state till date.”