Syllabus: General Studies Paper III – Agriculture, Water Resources, Climate Change

Why in the News?

The State Economic Survey 2025–26 has highlighted a serious gap between irrigation potential created and actual utilisation in Assam. Despite rising climate risks and erratic rainfall, less than 10 % of the cultivated land benefits from government irrigation schemes.

More About the News

Assam is blessed with mighty rivers like the Brahmaputra and Barak. Yet paradoxically, its farmers remain largely dependent on rainfall. The numbers reveal the crisis clearly.

• The Irrigation Department has created an irrigation potential of 8.84 lakh hectares, with an ultimate potential of 12.6 lakh hectares.
• However, only about 2.5 lakh hectares were actually irrigated in 2024–25.
• Assam’s total gross cropped area is about 40.88 lakh hectares, meaning irrigation covers less than 10 percent of farmland.

This gap between potential and utilisation is not just technical; it reflects deeper governance issues.

What is Irrigation Potential?

Irrigation potential refers to the maximum area that can be irrigated through created infrastructure such as canals, tube wells and lift irrigation schemes.
However, utilisation depends on maintenance, power supply, water availability and management efficiency.

Why is Utilisation So Low?

Several structural and institutional problems persist:

• Poor maintenance and inadequate repair funds.
• Erratic electricity supply affecting tube wells and pump sets.
• Damage to canals and embankments due to floods.
• Theft of motors and equipment.
• Changes in river flow affecting surface lift irrigation schemes.
• A CAG audit revealed that nearly 25 percent of sampled irrigation projects were non-functional.

Most irrigation is used only during the Kharif season (monsoon crops), while utilisation during Rabi season (winter crops) remains extremely low.

Climate Change Worsens the Crisis

Assam has faced repeated rainfall deficits in recent years:

• Rainfall deviation during Rabi season exceeded 40 percent in several years between 2018 and 2022.
• Studies show that 91 percent of annual rainfall occurs during pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons.
• Over 70 years, most districts experienced drought in August and September multiple times.

This indicates heavy dependence on seasonal rainfall and highlights the urgent need to shift from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation-based systems.

What Needs to Be Done?

Reforms must focus on efficiency and sustainability:

• Promote micro-irrigation techniques such as drip and sprinkler systems under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (Per Drop More Crop component).
• Adopt rainwater harvesting and watershed management approaches.
• Digitise irrigation assets and introduce real-time monitoring systems.
• Encourage climate-resilient crop varieties.
• Strengthen maintenance funding and accountability mechanisms.
• Improve groundwater management and prevent waterlogging.

Efficient irrigation is not optional anymore; it is essential for ensuring food security, crop stability, and farmer income security.

Important Terms Explained

• Gross Cropped Area: Total area sown once and more than once in a year.
• Rain-fed Agriculture: Farming dependent entirely on rainfall.
• Micro-Irrigation: Water-saving irrigation methods like drip and sprinkler systems.
• Rabi Season: Winter cropping season (October–March).
• Watershed Management: Conservation of water and soil within a drainage basin.

Exam Hook

Key Takeaways

• Assam has created irrigation potential but utilisation remains very low.
• Climate change increases urgency for irrigation reforms.
• Governance and maintenance failures are key barriers.
• Sustainable irrigation is central to agricultural resilience.

Mains Question

Discuss the challenges in irrigation management in Assam and suggest measures to improve utilisation of created irrigation potential in the context of climate change.

One line wrap: Assam’s irrigation crisis is not a water shortage problem alone, but a governance challenge demanding urgent climate-resilient reforms.

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