Sivasagar floods left 3-4 ft of silt; 3,470 ha of farmland need clearing

Three months after this year's floods, large patches of farmland in Upper Assam's Sivasagar and Charaideo districts are still unfit for cultivation, with deep silt and sand deposits, cracked soil and a fodder shortage pushing farmers towards an economic crisis, The Assam Tribune reported on Tuesday.

More than 3,470 hectares of agricultural land in Sivasagar district alone will need desiltation before farming can resume, according to district agriculture officer Amrit Saikia. The district administration has proposed financial assistance of Rs 6.25 crore for 6,055 farmers, to be paid directly into their bank accounts so they can clear their own fields.

Worst-hit pockets

Agriculture experts have named Kamal Chapori, Bamunpukhuri, No. 1 Chintamoni Garh and Nepali Khuti in Sivasagar district and Disang Pani in Charaideo among the worst-affected areas, though other locations are yet to be formally reported.

Dr Arundhoti Bordoloi of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Sivasagar said silt deposits in some places are three to four feet deep. Scientists are collecting soil samples and have found two broad types of deposit, clay loam and sandy loam, each needing different management. Paddy on clay loam needs standing water, she said, and will not grow if water is short.

Deep surface cracks have appeared where floodwater stood for days, in some places until September.

Crops failing, cattle sold

Some farmers who went back to their fields say the results have been poor. Villagers told the newspaper that bottle gourd and lai saak sprouted at first but turned reddish within weeks. Officials have handed out mustard seed for land that normally grows paddy, but admit even mustard may fail in some spots, while paddy growth has stalled in others. Farmers in a few pockets have had better results with vegetables.

The shortage of grass and fodder has forced some families to sell cattle, and some animals have reportedly died. Villagers in Chintamoni Garh fear the distress could have serious social and economic effects in the coming months.

Poultry losses

The floods also hit poultry farmers hard. Sivasagar district lost around seven lakh poultry birds and ducks, and Charaideo about one lakh.

Help so far

KVK Sivasagar and the agriculture department have distributed seeds, fodder and other inputs worth more than Rs 46 lakh and are giving farmers technical advice. With thousands of hectares still waiting to be restored, recovery is likely to take more than one season.