Only 21% of Assam’s farmland irrigated, government vows to expand coverage

A government‑commissioned survey released this week revealed that only about one‑fifth of Assam’s cultivated area—roughly 21%—benefits from reliable irrigation. The figure underscores a long‑standing gap in water management for a state that depends heavily on monsoon rains for its rice and tea crops.

In response, the Assam administration announced a multi‑year plan to increase irrigated acreage by expanding existing canal networks, promoting micro‑irrigation technologies, and mobilising funds under central schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana. Officials said priority will be given to drought‑prone districts and to smallholder farms that lack private water sources.

Experts caution that achieving the target will require addressing infrastructural bottlenecks, land‑acquisition hurdles, and the need for farmer training on efficient water use. If successful, the expanded irrigation could boost crop yields, reduce dependence on erratic rainfall, and improve the livelihoods of millions of Assamese farmers.