Monsoon, irrigation and agriculture

— Hemanta Saikia Water is one of the crucial natural resources that is used as an enhancing input in agriculture. In many dry regions of the world, water in the form of irrigation generates an element of stability in agriculture in addition to replacing low valued crops by higher one. In an area where summer season is frequently characterised by flood and drought like winter season, the role of irrigation is fairly critical as irrigation in such areas is mandatory only in winter season. Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of Assam and this sector contributes about 38 per cent (2006-2007) to the NSDP at current prices. Even though this sector is the backbone of the State’s economy, the growth rate and productivity are far from satisfactory and one of the lowest as compared to other States of India. All these distinctiveness of agriculture in Assam directs towards the question of sustainability of agricultural growth and the state of the economy.

The Brahmaputra and Barak are the two main rivers, which cause major problems during the monsoon period almost every year in the form of floods affecting rural agricultural sector of Assam and bringing miseries to the people. In Assam Brahmaputra river rolls its magnificent course through the State. As such Assam accounts for 94 per cent of total flood prone areas of the country and as a result of which it has not been able to achieve the desired progress and prosperity inspite of having vast natural resources. But notably, the bulk of the foodgrains production is found to be in flood prone areas where in dry season the farmers produce multiple crops say, vegetable, pulses, sugarcane, onion etc.

Assam falls in the heavy rainfall zone for which irrigation has not been given importance during the past decades. The traditional system of farming in Assam was mainly accountable for cultivation of single crop. So despite its vast potentiality in food production, the State has been running with deficit in foodgrain production. The State has been facing the problem of irregularity of monsoon and problem of floods due to fluctuating rainfall. At the same time Assam also face drought like situation due to shortage of rainfall every year. It is highly reliant on natural moisture and rainfall for growing varieties of crops leading to high degree of instability in agricultural production. Though rainfall is high in the region its distribution over time and space is far from regular. The variations in the pattern of rainfall and its uncertainty in the region may be judged from the observations of recorded rainfall of Assam over a period of 10 years. The unpredictable nature of rainfall makes kharif crops susceptible to the twin problems of flood and drought, thereby adversely affecting agricultural production and productivity. As a result it has become necessary to enlarge the area and output of Rabi crops which requires sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water.

Most of minor irrigation in Assam is present in the form of shallow tube well irrigation (STW) which is easy to install according to need of the time. Though Assam possesses relatively more irrigated area yet it is lagging much behind Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya etc in some of the North Eastern States in respect of percentage of net irrigated area to net sown area. Besides, the percentage of net irrigated area to the net sown area has significantly declined. Enlarging irrigation facility will compose significant contribution in enhancing cropping intensity in Assam. The growth of irrigation has direct bearing on the cropping intensity. The cropping intensity, of irrigated farms is generally higher as compared to non-irrigated farms. Irrigation will also helps in enhancing the agricultural productivity of the State. During the post-green revolution period, the impact of farm irrigation on agricultural production and productivity has been well recognised in India. Irrigation boosts up the yield rate per hectare as it facilitates the farms to switch over to better know-how, which is dependent on the use of the chemical fertilizers and high yielding varieties of seeds. The impact of farm mechanization on agricultural production and productivity has been also well recognised in India. Depending upon the use of other inputs such as irrigation, high yielding seed varieties, chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, different States in India have attained different levels of mechanization. The impact of irrigation on labour employment, particularly in a labour surplus State like Assam, has been a matter of importance and it generates greater demand for labour by facilitating more intensive cultivation.

In view of the increasing trend in flood damage in Assam and inadequate measures to control flood, there is the need to pursue the approach of ‘living with floods’. Otherwise, the people living in the floodplain would suffer severely from recurring floods since the poor peasants have no alternative but to cultivate the land and accept the risk and loss. In the chronically flood-affected areas, summer cropping should be substituted by large-scale winter cropping and harvested before flood should be introduced in the flood plain areas backed by STW irrigation. Development of Rural Agro Service Centres for providing input and equipment to the farms and farmers of flood affected areas is one of the pre-requisites for the development of the agriculture of Assam. SOURCE: ASSAM TRIBUNE