Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The effect of climate change in Assam is such that while parts of the North Bank of Brahmaputra are reeling under floods, other areas in Upper as well as Lower Assam are on the verge of a drought-like situation. Farmers in some parts of Upper and Lower Assam are in a quandary as they are unable to sow paddy in their fields due to lack of water. This is the time when farmers transplant paddy seedlings (kothia) in their fields from nurseries.
According to a report from the eastern part of the Udalguri district, there is no water in the farmers' fields, and the planting of paddy has not been possible. Farmers are looking to the rain gods to deliver them from their predicament.
A farmer of Goriapathar village in Udalguri told mediapersons, "There is a field named Jamunapathar in our village where the villagers farm paddy. This time there is no water as there have been no rains. We cannot sow paddy, as the ground is dry. We're deeply concerned as the time for planting the seedlings is coming to an end. There is no irrigation system in our village. If the rains don't arrive in the next few days, we'll miss this sowing season and there will be no rice in our homes."
Another farmer of the village said, "This time, I planned to sow paddy on around 4 bighas of land, but due to the absence of rain, I haven't been able to do so."
Reports from parts of Karbi Anglong paint the same picture. There are no irrigation facilities, and the farmers are totally dependent on the monsoon rainfall to plant their paddy.
Farmers in the Sarupathar area in the Golaghat district are also looking at the sky, expecting rains, as there is no water to farm their fields.
Until yesterday, there was 31% less rainfall than normal in the state this monsoon season. As per a report from the Regional Metereological Centre, Guwahati, between June 1 and July 15, 2026, Assam received 441.3 mm of rainfall, against the normal of 640.3 mm.
A few days back, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma mentioned that some farmers are not being able to plant paddy in their fields due to lack of rain and that the government is 'closely monitoring the situation'.
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