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Untimely Early Rainfalls Forced Farmers to Abandon Deep Water Rice Cultivation in Upper Assam

 MONOJ GOGOI

Many low-lying paddy tracts, suitable for bau (deep water rice) rice cultivation, will remain barren in next harvesting season in several places of Upper Assam, particularly in the districts of Dhemaji, Lakhimapur and Majuli. Farmers, owned low-lying paddy fields, couldn’t sow bau rice seeds on time (sowing season is spring) as it was rained heavily. Almost all tracts, used to grow bau rice, had been submerged and water-logging occurred.

According to local people, heavy precipitation, much earlier than the usual rainy period, occurred for weeks in the region and the adjacent hills of Arunachal Pradesh. The rain water and the inflated water from the rivers  created water logging and submergence in those paddy fields. The water regime of these areas will, possibly, remain unchanged till September. The entire planting season would be over.

Nripen Medhi, a senior secondary school teacher, of Jalbhari village in Dhakuakhana of Lakhimapur district told that most people in my village were dependants on the bau baddy. But this time the untimely advance rains ruined the hope of the farmers. He also told that it was not only about his village but he noticed the same situation prevailed in many placed in these districts.

Some farmers in Dhemaji district also told the same story. It rained much earlier this year and they could not sow the seeds of the crop. Few farmers, although, sown earlier but that too damaged by the water-logging. Similar story is found from all the low-lying areas of the districts.

Perennial rains, with very short intervals, have been continuing till this mid-June affecting paddy cultivation in large scale.

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