- 27 districts in Assam face drought-like conditions due to significant rainfall deficit.
- Paddy farmers are in distress due to lack of water for sowing; irrigation systems are often defunct.
- 14 districts are “high deficit rainfall,” 13 are “deficit,” prompting urgent state government measures.
GG News Bureau
Guwahati, 22nd July: Twenty-seven districts across Assam are currently facing a severe drought-like situation due to a significant deficit in rainfall this year, plunging farmers into distress during the crucial paddy sowing season.
The worst-hit areas, experiencing a substantial 60 to 80 percent rainfall deficit, include Kamrup Metro, Kamrup, Dhubri, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, and Darrang. Farmers in these regions are unable to plant their paddy seedlings due to the severe lack of water in their fields and defunct irrigation systems. “We are in the middle of the paddy sowing season, and our farmers are helpless. The irrigation systems that should be supporting them are defunct, and the government seems indifferent to their plight,” stated Tanuj Haloi, president of the AASU Dibrugarh town unit.
According to preliminary assessments by the Assam Agriculture Department, 14 districts are categorized under “high deficit rainfall,” while 13 others are experiencing “deficit” conditions. This has prompted the State Government to initiate urgent measures to tackle the crisis.
During a monthly review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota on Saturday, district commissioners (DCs) and senior secretaries were directed to identify and demarcate the impacted areas. Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora is personally monitoring the most affected regions.
Leader of the Opposition, Debabrata Saikia, has urged Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya to extend the official drought declaration to 16 more districts, warning of a deepening agrarian crisis across the state.
Amidst the unfolding drought, the state cabinet also approved the issuance of concurrence for a financial sanction of Rs 342 crore for the implementation of the ‘Mukhya Mantri Eti Koli Duti Paat’ (Assam Tea Garden Workers’ Financial Assistance Scheme-2025). This flagship scheme aims to provide one-time financial assistance to tea garden workers.
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