Thaindian News

Guwahati/Imphal, May 18 (IANS) Planeloads of rice and life-saving medicines were airlifted to Manipur for the second straight day Tuesday to tide over an acute food crisis in the northeastern state following an economic blockade for over a month, officials said.
Three AN-32 transport aircraft from an Indian Air Force base in Assam’s main city of Guwahati Tuesday dropped 10 tonnes of rice and medicines in Imphal, much to the relief of locals and the state government. On Monday, two AN-32 aircraft from Guwahati air-dropped 10 tonnes of rice.

“So far 20 tonnes of rice have been air-dropped. We are sending the rice to various districts for open sale in the market with instructions to help the economically weaker sections of the society who have been hit very hard by the crisis,” said P. Vaiphei, commissioner of food and civil supplies of Manipur.

Of the three sorties made Tuesday, one carried a planeload of life saving drugs. Manipur is facing a severe shortage of medicines with hospitals forced to stop all routine operations due to lack of oxygen cylinders.

“The planeload of select life saving drugs would provide some relief to the state,” B. Tarren Kumar Sharma, a senior Manipur health department official, told IANS while overseeing loading of medicines at the Borjhar air base in Guwahati.

Manipur is facing its worst crisis of food, fuel and medicines since April 11 due to prolonged economic blockade by various Naga tribal groups protesting over the Manipur government’s refusal to allow Naga separatist leader Thuingaleng Muivah to visit his native Somdal village in Ukhrul district of the state.

Fuel continues to be the scarcest of commodities with a litre of petrol selling as high as Rs.220, while a cooking gas cylinder is being sold at anywhere between Rs.1,500 to Rs.1,700.

At least 35 trucks with police escort rolled into Manipur via a non-existent road from adjoining Mizoram carrying fuel and other essential commodities.

“Maybe in the next few days things would normalise,” Vaiphei hoped.