Assam: Silt-Covered Fields Cast Shadow Over Kati Bihu In Nazira

New Update

As Assam observes Kati Bihu, a festival associated with prayers for a good harvest and the well-being of crops, farmers in Chontak Bormising village under Shimluguri in Nazira are facing a bleak season after devastating floods damaged large stretches of agricultural land.

Unlike previous years, the traditional lamps that farmers light in their fields to pray for a healthy crop will be missing from the village's Sumoni fields. The floods that struck the area on July 19 left much of the farmland covered in thick layers of silt, destroying standing paddy crops and dashing farmers' hopes of a productive harvest.

The once fertile fields have now largely turned into grass-covered stretches, with little sign of the paddy crop that usually sustains farming families through the year. The deposited silt has significantly altered the agricultural landscape, leaving several plots unsuitable for cultivation.

Farmers in the area say the Sumoni fields previously accounted for nearly 80 per cent of their paddy production, helping them meet their annual food requirements. This year, however, the damage has left them worried about their livelihoods and the coming months.

With the harvest season approaching in Aghun, when farmers traditionally reap their paddy, the prospects remain uncertain. Instead of ripening grain, much of the affected land is now covered with grass, while cracks have appeared in exposed patches of soil.

Kati Bihu, also known as Kongali Bihu, traditionally reflects a period of scarcity in the agricultural calendar, when crops are still growing, and farmers await the harvest. For the residents of Chontak Bor Mising, the hardship this year has been compounded by flood damage that has wiped out much of their expected produce.

Also Read: Kati Bihu: Assam Celebrates Kongali Bihu With Traditional Rituals Today