No water to cultivate paddy: Assam farmers protest over Bhutan’s decision to stop supply from its side

Hundreds of farmers from 25 villages in Assam on Monday staged protests against the Bhutan government’s decision to not allow farmers from the Indian side to channelise water from Bhutan’s side for irrigation.

Due to the novel coronavirus-triggered lockdown, the Bhutan government has closed all entries of outsiders to the country and said that Indian farmers will not be allowed to use irrigation channels originated in Bhutan.

Thousands of farmers from around 25 villages under Tamulpur sub-division of Baksa district along Indo-Bhutan border are involved in the cultivation of paddy rice by using water from Bhutan’s side.

Farmers have diverted the water through the Jamfwi or dongs (irrigation channels) to their paddy fields and this process is being continued for the past several decades.

Without water from the irrigation channels, farmers downstream cannot irrigate their crops. Farmers from Baksa district are also facing problems for cultivating paddy rice this year following the Bhutanese government decision.

By demanding to resolve the problem, hundreds of farmers of 25 villages in Tamulpur sub-division, on Monday staged protests and blockaded Rongia-Bhutan connecting road for several hours.

The farmers demanded the Assam government to take the issue seriously and resolve it soon.

A protesting farmer said that without water, they will face more problems.

“We had brought water to our paddy fields by making dong bandh in Bhutan side. Due to lockdown, the Bhutanese government has totally barred us to enter there. We are now facing water crisis for cultivating paddy rice. The government should have to resolve the problem soon. We will intensify our protests if our demand is not fulfilled,” the farmer said.