Govt declares five western Assam districts drought-hit as rainfall deficit hits 40%
CM Sarma added that farmers insured under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana will be eligible for compensation;

A farmer inspects a parched field in Assam
Guwahati, July 23: Assam has officially declared five districts in the western part of the state as drought-hit, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced, on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press briefing following a cabinet meeting in Dibrugarh, Sarma said the affected districts—Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Dhubri, Baksa, and Bongaigaon—have recorded a 40% rainfall deficit, based on data from the India Meteorological Department and the Central Ground Water Board.
“In view of the situation, the Revenue Department will officially declare these districts as drought-affected,” the Chief Minister said.
He added that farmers who have insured their crops under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana will be eligible for compensation.
Sarma also noted that some districts in eastern Assam have experienced erratic rainfall patterns, ranging from deficient to excessive.
The Chief Minister is currently touring Upper Assam to assess the implementation of key government schemes.
The government’s move is at aimed at offering some relief to the people hit by a drought-like situation in several districts of Western Assam.
A preliminary assessment has revealed that 14 districts in Assam fall under the “high deficit rainfall” category, while 13 others are experiencing “deficit” conditions, prompting the government to initiate urgent measures to tackle the situation.
In total, 27 districts have been categorised as rainfall deficit zones.
In a monthly review meeting chaired by Dr Ravi Kota, the Chief Secretary, on July 19 and attended by District Commissioners (DCs) and senior secretaries, the government directed the DCs to identify and demarcate impacted areas and to initiate the process of drought declaration accordingly.
Earlier on Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Atul Bora met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi to brief him about the emerging drought-like situation and seek necessary support.
Bora, who was joined by officials from the Assam Agriculture Department, described the meeting as “fruitful”, adding that key representatives from both Central and state agencies participated in the discussions.
"The Union Minister has also agreed to visit the state soon,” Bora said.
- With inputs from IANS