The State Economic Survey 2025–26 has highlighted a worrying gap between irrigation potential created and actual utilization in Assam, even as climate variability and Rabi season droughts are increasing.

What is the Issue?

• The Irrigation Department has created irrigation potential in 8.84 lakh hectares till March 2025.
• The ultimate irrigation potential is estimated at 12.6 lakh hectares.
• However, irrigation potential actually utilized in 2024–25 was only around 2.5 lakh hectares, down from the previous year.
• Assam’s total gross cropped area is 40.88 lakh hectares, meaning less than 10 % of cultivated land benefits from government irrigation schemes.

This reveals a major implementation and maintenance gap

Key Reasons for Underutilisation

• Poor maintenance and repair due to irregular funding.
• Erratic power supply affecting lift irrigation schemes.
• Theft of motors and pumps.
• Damage to transformers and power lines.
• Changing river flow patterns, affecting surface irrigation structures.

Thus, irrigation infrastructure exists on paper but is not fully functional on the ground.

Climate Change and Rising Vulnerability

Assam is increasingly facing climate variability, especially during the Rabi season.

• Rabi rainfall deviation was:
  
  • Minus 40.46 % (2022)
  • Minus 67.6 % (2019)
  • Minus 55.46 % (2020)
• A 70-year study (1951–2020) found:
  • 54 years affected by the August drought in at least one district.
  • 53 years affected by September drought in at least one district.

About 91 % of annual rainfall occurs during pre-monsoon and monsoon, making Assam heavily dependent on seasonal rain.

This highlights the urgent need to shift from rainfed agriculture to irrigation-based systems.

Exam Hook

Key Takeaways:

• Huge gap between irrigation potential created and utilized.
• Climate change is increasing drought vulnerability in Assam.
• Irrigation is central to agricultural resilience and productivity.

Mains Question:
“Discuss the challenges in irrigation infrastructure utilization in Assam and suggest measures to improve climate-resilient agriculture.”

One-line wrap:
Without bridging the irrigation utilization gap, Assam’s agriculture will remain vulnerable to the growing uncertainties of climate change.

SOURCE