Jharigaon, 31st July 2025: Farmers are experiencing severe mental distress over the transplantation of paddy. With no irrigation facilities, farmers in this region depend entirely on the monsoon for cultivating kharif paddy. However, this year’s rainfall has been erratic and below average, according to farmers.
Even though it’s the Bahuda Yatra period and the month of Shravan has begun — a peak time for transplantation — only around 40% of the required transplantation has been completed due to lack of water in the fields. In some areas, even the sowed seedlings are wilting or not germinating properly.
This situation is particularly evident in various parts of Jharigaon block, where paddy cultivation is the main livelihood. Due to inadequate rainfall, transplantation activities have been severely affected.
Farmers with better economic standing are seen drawing water from nearby streams or ponds using motor pumps, but those without access to such resources are left with no choice but to sit helplessly, watching their seedlings dry up.
Even in lowland areas where water typically accumulates, seedlings are withering and dying. In many places, seedlings have become overaged and are unsuitable for transplanting, but some desperate farmers are still trying to forcefully transplant them in semi-dry, cracked soil.
Experts warn that if transplantation isn’t completed within a specific window, farmers could suffer huge economic losses.
Farmers still hope that if there is a good spell of rain in the coming week, they may still complete the remaining transplantation work.
According to the Block Agriculture Department, paddy is typically grown on 8,652 hectares of land in the block. Of this, only 4,726 hectares have access to irrigation, and about 40% of the remaining land has been affected due to inadequate rainfall.
As per data from the India Meteorological Department, the expected rainfall for this region was 91.26 mm, but actual rainfall recorded in the past week has been between 10.39 mm and 14.17 mm, with only 7.59 mm actually recorded — far below expectations.
Since paddy cultivation is the primary means of livelihood for most farmers, they are becoming increasingly disheartened.
Farmers blame this situation on factors such as:
- Climate change
- Destruction of natural forests
- Lack of new afforestation
- Population growth
- Industrialization
These are having adverse effects on seasonal patterns. Rain is either absent when needed or comes at unnecessary times.
They also noted irregular rainfall distribution: one area may receive good rain, while a nearby area may get none. This unpredictable pattern is severely impacting kharif paddy cultivation across the region.