Hundreds of farmers from 25 villages of Assam’s Baksa along the Indo-Bhutan border have strongly resented the Bhutan government’s decision to not allow farmers from the Indian side to channelize water from Bhutan’s side for irrigation.
Sources said due to the novel coronavirus-triggered lockdown, the Bhutan government has closed all entries of outsiders to the country and said Indian farmers will not be allowed to use irrigation channels originated in Bhutan.
Thousands of farmers from villages of Tamulpur sub-division of Baksa including Bagajuli, Kalipur, Hatiduba, Santipur, Mariampur, Patkijuli, Belkhuti, Angarkata, Kawli, Darrangapar, Goibari are dependent on the downstream water of Bhutan to harvest their fields.
“The farmers of the region 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,” said Maheswar Narzari, a local.
He further added,”Without water from the irrigation channels, farmers downstream cannot irrigate their crops and the Bhutanese government decision will have detrimental effect on the farmers.”
“The government of both the nations must resolve the problem,” he added.