📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Joydeep Chakraborty
Agriculture
Only 21% of Assam’s farmland irrigated, state vows to boost coverage
✍️ hubnetwork.in
🗓 10 Sep 2026, 06:04 PM
👁 39
A recent assessment shows that just 21% of agricultural land in Assam is under irrigation, prompting the state government to accelerate expansion efforts.
A government‑commissioned survey released this week revealed that only about one‑fifth of Assam’s cultivated area benefits from reliable irrigation, leaving the majority of farms dependent on rainfed agriculture. The low coverage is seen as a key constraint on crop yields and farmer incomes across the state.
In response, the Assam administration announced a renewed push to widen the irrigation network. Officials said the plan will focus on extending canal systems, upgrading existing lift‑irrigation schemes, and encouraging the adoption of micro‑irrigation technologies such as drip and sprinkler systems. Funding is expected to come from both state allocations and central government schemes aimed at improving water management.
Experts caution that expanding irrigation will require careful coordination with river‑flow management and flood control measures, given the state’s high rainfall and riverine terrain. If successful, the increased water supply could enable multiple cropping cycles, reduce vulnerability to drought, and improve overall agricultural productivity in the region.
The government has set an ambitious target to raise the irrigated area over the next few years, though exact timelines and the scale of investment were not disclosed in the initial statement.
In response, the Assam administration announced a renewed push to widen the irrigation network. Officials said the plan will focus on extending canal systems, upgrading existing lift‑irrigation schemes, and encouraging the adoption of micro‑irrigation technologies such as drip and sprinkler systems. Funding is expected to come from both state allocations and central government schemes aimed at improving water management.
Experts caution that expanding irrigation will require careful coordination with river‑flow management and flood control measures, given the state’s high rainfall and riverine terrain. If successful, the increased water supply could enable multiple cropping cycles, reduce vulnerability to drought, and improve overall agricultural productivity in the region.
The government has set an ambitious target to raise the irrigated area over the next few years, though exact timelines and the scale of investment were not disclosed in the initial statement.