Impact of Irrigation upon Farm Productivity with Particular Reference to Kopili Flow Irrigation Scheme (FIS), Rani, Kamrup District, Assam

Abstract

In Assam, most of the irrigation schemes regardless of major or minor give services during monsoon season only when normally there are plenty of water in the paddy fields due to heavy rainfall. During pre or post monsoon seasons or rabi and pre-kharif seasons these schemes remain nonfunctioning and lay idle in the name of repairing, development, renovation, extension and what not? In the project command of Kopili FIS, only half of the total cultivable land could be provided with irrigation water. The study reveals that irrigation development is an utmost necessity for agricultural development in the region. Irrigation ratio along with other factors determines agricultural productivity to a greater extent. However, the level of irrigation development in the region is not much impressive. Under this environment agricultural development programmes and policies are of very limited practical implication and arguing for sustainable irrigation is of no sense. This situation is inevitable, unless a strategy is formulated for a radical increase in cropping intensity, supported by commensurate irrigation facilities along with required (and feasible) increase in productivity levels of foodgrains especially rice and wheat.