Brahmaputra Valley Of Assam Research Articles

Role of Hired Agricultural Labour in Crop Production: Evidence From the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam

Insufficient availability of family labour is a major hurdle in farm operations in India, which compels farmers to use hired agricultural labour. Given the importance of manpower in farm operation, the use of hired labour in agriculture is expected to play a vital role in agricultural development. Hence, the present article aims to examine the role of hired agricultural labour in crop production in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam in North East India. The study is based mainly on farm-level data collected using a multi-stage sampling technique from 237 field crop-cultivating households. Analysis using simple statistical tools depicts that a large majority of farmers of all size classes depend on hired labour for different farming activities. The extent of use of hired agricultural labour is more for larger farmers relative to smaller farmers. Further, larger farmers hire agricultural labour more or less equally for all types of activities, while small and marginal farmers hire such labour mostly for activities requiring group efforts. Tobit regression analysis depicts a significant role of hired agricultural labour in improving cropping intensity and crop diversification, but the fragmented nature of the market for agricultural labour calls for government intervention. JEL Codes: Q12, Q13

Exploring the geographical dimensions of an urban periodic market in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, India: insights into its structure and functioning

ABSTRACT The present study delves into understanding the dynamics and significance of the Morigaon town weekly market (MTWM), located in the central agro-climatic region of the Brahmaputra Valley, India. The primary objective is to examine the structure, functions and characteristics of this urban periodic market. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive methodology was employed, including personal field visits, market observations, respondent surveys of 300 vendors and 300 customers, and focus group discussions. The findings indicate a substantial demand among urban dwellers for local agricultural products, leading to a notable expansion of the market over the years. It has also been found that the majority of vendors, comprising 78% of the total, participate in this market regularly, with 54% of them travelling from neighbouring villages within a range of 10-15 km. This study underscores the importance of periodic markets in facilitating economic interactions between urban and rural areas, especially in regions such as the Brahmaputra Valley. The findings not only enhance understanding of the MTWM, but also offer insights for developing policies and strategies to support similar markets globally where similar economic dynamics exist.

Investigating the geographies of water use and water cover in the rural areas of Nagaon District, Assam (India): Unraveling the micro-ecological implications

The use and management of water resources are fundamental for sustainable human societies, economic development, and ecological conservation. Therefore, conducting a thorough investigation to comprehend water use (WU) patterns and assess the extent of water-covered areas (WCA) in a region is indispensable for fostering sustainable ecological and economic conditions, and for implementing effective water management practices. However, the rapid growth of human populations, particularly in developing countries, and the concomitant developmental activities have significantly influenced the WCA, leading to their degradation and loss. In this context, the present research focuses on investigating and understanding the variations in WU and WCA, with an emphasis on unraveling the ecological implications of these hydrological dynamics in the rural areas of Nagaon-a floodplain district of the middle Brahmaputra valley in Assam, India. The study also seeks to investigate the intricate and dynamic human-water relationship and their impact on the waterscapes and the associated hydroecological characteristics. The methodology employed in this study involved analyzing spatial data and conducting field surveys to procure some other relevant primary data and information to assess the current state of WU and WCA in the district. The results reveal substantial shifts in water usage patterns, with a growing reliance on groundwater and reduced dependence on surface water bodies. Notably, all wetlands, except the artificial ponds (pukhuris), have experienced significant declines in both quantity and size, resulting in a reduction of WCA and the associated aquatic vegetation cover. This reduction in WCA has consequently led to a substantial decline in wetland habitats and disruptions to their ecological conditions, posing serious threats to the floral and faunal species dependent on these aquatic ecosystems. The findings of this research will definitely help the concerned policymakers, environmental organizations, and local communities by providing a foundation for informed decision-making towards formulating effective conservation strategies to safeguard not only the WCA of the district but also to maintain the region's ecological health, proper water use, and the sustainable socio-economic development.

Agro-technologies for greenhouse gases mitigation in flooded rice fields for promoting climate smart agriculture

We investigated methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), two important greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions using the closed chamber method from a flooded rice field in Brahmaputra valley of Assam, northeast part of India. We tried to understand the factors responsible for the emission and identify appropriate agro-technologies for their mitigation. Various factors like water level, drainage management, soil organic carbon management, crop management, fertilizer amendment, cultivar type etc. affect the GHG production and emission from the flooded rice soil. In this study, six treatments were employed, namely, farmer's practice (FP), recommended fertilizer dosage (RDF), direct seeded rice (DSR), intermittent wetting drying (IWD), use of efficient methanotrophs (MTH), and use of ammonium sulfate as a nitrogen source for real-time nitrogen management using leaf color chart, (AS). GHG flux was measured through the static closed chamber technique. Soil temperature, pH, and redox potential (Eh) and other soil physico-chemical and biological properties that have a potential role in GHG emission were also assessed. The lowest CH4 flux was observed in IWD treatment. The highest CH4 but lowest N2O flux was observed in RDF thus portraying a tradeoff relationship among these two GHGs. The highest N2O flux was observed in AS. Changes in Eh strongly altered CH4 and N2O emissions. The CH4 flux for the growing season varied from 62.5 to 86.3 kg ha−1 with an average of 72.4 kg ha−1. The average N2O flux was 0.89 kg ha−1 with values fluctuating between 0.72 – and 1.08 kg ha−1. The findings of this study could assist in understanding the factors affecting the source, production, and sink of these two important GHGs. IWD, along with judicious N-based fertilizer use, could provide significant respite from GHG emissions in rice-based agriculture. These climate-smart strategies not only reduce emissions but also have the potential to improve yield.

Exploring Climate Change Adaptation Practices and Agricultural Livelihoods among Rice Farmers of the Brahmaputra Valley in Northeast India.

Global climate change has seriously threatened agriculture and connected sectors, especially in developing countries like India. The Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, Northeast India, is vulnerable to climate change due to its agrarian economy, fragile geo-ecological setting, recurrent floods and droughts, and poor socioeconomic conditions of the farmers. The climate-induced hindrances faced by the rice farming community of this region and the local adaptation practices they employ have not been adequately studied. Therefore, we carried out a survey among 635 rice farmers across four agro-climatic zones of Assam, namely the Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone, North Bank Plain Zone, Central Brahmaputra Valley Zone, and Lower Brahmaputra Valley Zone, to understand how they perceive and respond to climatic changes. The survey revealed that all the respondents have perceived an increase in ambient temperature, and 65% of the respondents have perceived a slight change in rainfall characteristics over the years. Most farmers reported adjusting the existing farming practices and livelihood choices to adapt to the changing climate. Farming adjustments were made mainly in terms of field preparation and management of water, rice variety, nutrients, and pests. Environmental variables like rainfall, flood, drought, and pest level, and socioeconomic variables like family size, education, farming experience, training, digital media exposure, and land area were found to influence farmers' adaptation choices. The findings imply that policies to strengthen flood, drought, pest management, education, land-use planning, agricultural training, and digital media applications in agriculture are needed for effective climate change adaptation in this region.

The Pattern of Morbidity and Access to Healthcare Service in the Riverine Flood-prone Villages of Assam, India

Background: Floods are considered one of the common phenomena causing substantial death, morbidity, and damage to infrastructure as well as economic conditions across the world. India receives 75% of its total rainfall in the monsoon season, as a result, annually on average 8 million people are affected by the floods. The Brahmaputra valley of Assam is one of the worst flood-affected regions in the country. This study focuses on understanding the pattern of morbidity, health service utilization, and challenges faced to access healthcare services in the riverine flood-prone villages of Assam. Methods: A mixed method study was followed to conduct the study. Primary data have been collected through interview schedules from 83 households. Descriptive statistics of both frequency and percentage were shown for categorical as well as continuous variables. Qualitative data were analyzed using a thematic framework. Results: The research findings indicate that in the flood-prone villages people face difficulty in accessing healthcare. However, the challenges intensify during flood times. It was identified that illnesses like fever, skin infection, diarrhea, and dysentery are linked to floods. Three themes were identified from the qualitative analysis i.e., lack of transportation facilities, non-functional sub-centres, and lack of money. The transportation facilities and the non-functional sub-centers were some of the causes along with the financial constraint to avail the health care facilities. Conclusion: It can be concluded that to improve the health service condition in the flood-prone areas, there is an urgent need to improve both the quality and quantity of the sub-centres infrastructures and the manpower. Other public health interventions such as providing food, water, and shelter, especially during floods need to be developed. Encouraging early flood preparedness and public health awareness programs through community participation would also help to reduce the damage to these people.

Exploring the association among Hope, Self-Efficacy and Psychological Resilience: An Empirical Analysis on the flood victims of Lower Assam Division

Flood is a naturally occurring annual event in Assam. In the year, 1988, 2004 and recently in 2022, the Assam flood has brought a huge destruction to this riverine state. As the districts of Brahmaputra valley in Assam are often shocked by massive flood every year, it leaves victims with physical as well as psychological challenges. Since flood has become an inevitable feature in this state, people have no option left than being positive and resilient. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to find out the relation among hope, self-efficacy and psychological resilience which are considered as positive psychological traits. These are indispensable to fight with challenges and extreme situations. To carry out this research, a total of 200 sample are selected from four districts of Assam viz Barpeta, Darrang, Nalbari and Kamrup (R). The data have been collected through the help of standardized scales and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings are providing information for relevant intervention programs which can be carried out by counsellors, psychologists, mental health professionals and other para professionals to understand and mitigate the psychological challenges encountered by the flood victims of Assam.

The politics of eviction and citizenship in the Brahmaputra valley, Assam, India

ABSTRACT Floods and erosion have been among the primary factors to induce the displacement of indigenous Axomiya and the Miya communities in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam. This trend has been observed since the last quarter of the twentieth century, and more prominently in the first decade of the twenty-first century. These displaced communities encountered eviction as their self-settlement in exclusive zones like forests, embankments or grazing lands were legally appraised as encroachments. Therefore, contested claims over land are a central concern in the governance and bureaucratic milieu of Assam. The eviction drive that was carried out in Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary of Guwahati in 2017 is regarded as one of the most vulnerable evictions of recent times. This article deals with the question of counter-insurgency operations of the State from the narrative of erosion, eviction and indigeneity. This study derives its data and inferences from primary modes of data collection, mainly field study and face-to-face interviews.

Farm Level Environmental Efficiency in Summer Paddy Production and its Determinants: A Study of the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam

The study estimates the farm-level environmental efficiency of 432 summer paddy farmers of the Brahmaputra valley of Assam using the translog stochastic frontier analysis. The estimates showed that the mean environmental efficiency for pesticides (0.423) was lower than the joint environmental efficiency for chemical fertilisers and pesticides (0.639). Again, the truncated regression model results indicated that education level, farming experience and access to extension services positively, and access to credit and engagement in tenancy negatively affected the environmental efficiency of the farmers. Therefore, access to extension services, the education level of the farmers and access to the credit needs improvement to increase the environmental efficiency at the farm level.

Exploring the Socioeconomic Impact of Riverbank Erosion in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, India: A Case Study of Two Districts

This paper explores the socioeconomic impact of riverbank erosion and measures the incidence and severity of poverty among the riverbank inhabitants of Assam, India. Primary data from two erosion effected districts of Assam have been collected using multistage random sampling technique. To measure the incidence of Poverty among the riverbank inhabitants, Head Count Ratio (HCR) method has been used. Severity of poverty is measured using Poverty Gap Index (PGI). The results reveal that the level of poverty and the severity of poverty are related with the degree of erosion. Similarly, the migration (both short-term and long-term) also related with the degree of erosion. It has also found that various types of socioeconomic issues arise due to riverbank erosion, such as loss of cropland and livestock, education and transportation problem, social displacement, etc. An important fact observed is that the problem of migration and poverty also exist in the non-eroded villages. For which, it cannot be say that migration issue arise only because of riverbank erosion. But, riverbank erosion pushes the other problems to more vulnerable situation which compels the affected people to take their decision. Therefore, riverbank erosion may be considered as a cause of migration and poverty in the study areas. In this context the paper recommends that with the erosion control measures, the policies such as resettlement, financial support and social safety nets should be implemented in the erosion affected areas to reduce poverty as well as to reduce outmigration.

Geospatial modeling to assess the past and future land use-land cover changes in the Brahmaputra Valley, NE India, for sustainable land resource management.

Satellite remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) have revolutionalized the mapping, quantifying, and assessing the land surface processes, particularly analyzing the past and future land use-land cover (LULC) change patterns. Worldwide river basins have observed enormous changes in the land system dynamics as a result of anthropogenic factors such as population, urbanization, development, and agriculture. As is the scenario of various other river basins, the Brahmaputra basin, which falls in China, Bhutan, India, and Bangladesh, is also witnessing the same environmental issues. The present study has been conducted on the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, India (a sub-basin of the larger Brahmaputra basin) and assessed its LULC changes using a maximum likelihood classification algorithm. The study also simulated the changing LULC pattern for the years 2030, 2040, and 2050 using the GIS-based cellular automata Markov model (CA-Markov) to understand the implications of the ongoing trends in the LULC change for future land system dynamics. The current rate of change of the LULC in the region was assessed using the 48years of earth observation satellite data from 1973 to 2021. It was observed that from 1973 to 2021, the area under vegetation cover and water body decreased by 19.48 and 47.13%, respectively. In contrast, cultivated land, barren land, and built-up area increased by 7.60, 20.28, and 384.99%, respectively. It was found that the area covered by vegetation and water body has largely been transitioned to cultivated land and built-up classes. The research predicted that, by the end of 2050, the area covered by vegetation, cultivated land, and water would remain at 39.75, 32.31, and 4.91%, respectively, while the area covered by built-up areas will increase by up to 18.09%. Using the kappa index (ki) as an accuracy indicator of the simulated future LULCs, the predicted LULC of 2021 was validated against the observed LULC of 2021, and the very high ki observed validated the generated simulation LULC products. The research concludes that significant LULC changes are taking place in the study area with a decrease in vegetation cover and water body and an increase of area under built-up. Such trends will continue in the future and shall have disastrous environmental consequences unless necessary land resource management strategies are not implemented. The main factors responsible for the changing dynamics of LULC in the study area are urbanization, population growth, climate change, river bank erosion and sedimentation, and intensive agriculture. This study is aimed at providing the policy and decision-makers of the region with the necessary what-if scenarios for better decision-making. It shall also be useful in other countries of the Brahmaputra basin for transboundary integrated river basin management of the whole region.

Forecasting yield of rapeseed and mustard using multiple linear regression and ANN techniques in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, North East India

Forecasting yield of rapeseed and mustard using multiple linear regression and ANN techniques in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, North East India

Geographical Indication (GI) as a means of craft tourism: a case of muga silk in Assam, India

Geographical Indications (GI) is one of the tools of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) that protects name of a good as originating in the territory of a WTO member country, a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristics of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin. Muga Silk has been and continues to be an integral part of Assamese life and tradition. Assam is literally a ‘Silk country’ and silk culture is deep-rooted in the rural life and culture of Assamese people where Muga silk (Antheraea assamensis) is grown. There are 100 per cent of India’s Muga silk production is originated in Assam and hence Assam silk occupies a unique position in the sericulture map of the world. Considering the ecological conditions, food plant distribution, presence of eco-types and species of diverse nature in co-existence, it is speculated that this region is home of origin of Muga (Antheraea assamensis). Muga cloth has 85.8 per cent absorption capacity of ultra-violet ray of sunlight. Muga, the unique golden-yellow silk of Assam was granted the Geographical Indication (GI) registration in 2007. The present research will be highlighted the geo-environmental condition, craft tourism prospect of Muga silk as well as its contribution on livelihood generation in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam. This paper tries to emphasize the possibility of craft tourism in Muga rearing areas of Assam, so that the host community might earn their livelihood from tourism activity.

Technical Efficiency in Potato Cultivation in Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, India

Potato is abundantly grown in Assam and is an important source of income and employment in rural areas of the state. But the productivity of potato in the state is low as compared to other states. Among the various factors, productivity of a crop is significantly influenced by technical efficiency. This paper examines productivity and technical efficiency in potato cultivation in Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, India. The study is based on both secondary and primary data. Primary data were collected from a sample of 400 potato growers. The study applied stochastic frontier production function to estimate technical efficiency and employed logistic transformation model of regression analysis to examine the determinants of technical efficiency. The results showed that potato productivity was positively and significantly affected by seed, fertilizer and manure costs. The mean level of technical efficiency among the farmers was 78%. Technical efficiency was found to be the highest in semi-medium and large land holdings. Technical efficiency was positively affected by land size and negatively affected by capital-labour ratio. The study implies that there is a need to promote use of quality seeds and plant nutrients to improve productivity and encourage extensive farming and use of labour to enhance technical efficiency in potato cultivation. SAARC J. Agric., 20(1): 197-208 (2022)

The Hiring of Labour for Field Cultivation: A Study in the Brahmaputra Valley of Northeast India

On the basis of household-level data, the present study examines the hiring of farm labour in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam in the north-eastern part of India. By adopting a multi-stage sampling technique, the primary data were collected from 237 randomly selected field crop cultivating households located in the lower, upper and central parts of the Brahmaputra Valley. The hiring of labour for field cultivation is extensive among the sample farm households of all size groups, but it varies across locations and activities. There are three forms of farm labour hiring, among which the hiring of labour on daily basis is common and pre-dominant. The wage of farm labourers is not same across activities, sex and locations. The estimation of independent double hurdle model depicts the farm size, type of cultivator and age of head of the household as the common factors that affect both the adoption and the extent of hiring of farm labour. The availability of family labour is another factor that affects the extent of hiring of farm labour.

Causes of pulsating evolution of fluvial landforms since the marine isotopic stage-2 in the belt of Schuppen, Nagaland, NE India

ABSTRACT The Belt of Schuppen (BoS) of Nagaland is a NE-SW trending linear zone lying adjacent to the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam in Northeast India. Geomorphic, stratigraphic and chronologic data from the Dzüdza and Chathe river valleys that cut across the BoS have been studied to understand the influence of climate on landform evolution in parts of the BoS. Fluvial landforms in the Dzüdza and Chathe river valleys evolved in four major phases bracketed between 22–17 ka (Phase IV), 13–9.0 ka (Phase III), 7–5 ka (Phase II) and 3.5–1.5 ka (Phase I), indicating multi-centennial to millennial changes in monsoon intensity. Climatically, Phase-III was dominated by valley aggradation initiated by onset of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) and persisted intermittently till the early Holocene-strengthened ISM. The other phases of aggradation are attributed to transient or weak ISM. The present study suggests that fluvial aggradation was associated with enhanced precipitation and sediment supply in the BoS valley, whereas the transient and weak ISM is manifested in episodic pulses of alluvial ingression from the tributaries to the trunk valleys; along with post depositional tectonic modifications of the landforms.

Straw mulch and irrigation effect on wheat under various crop establishment techniques in Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, India

Straw mulch and irrigation effect on wheat under various crop establishment techniques in Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, India

The Bodos in the Brahmaputra Valley: People, Language, and Culture

The Boros of the Sino-Tibetan language family belong to the Mongoloid group of people, drawing their tribal element from the Bodo-Garo group forming distinct tribes of northeast India by themselves with different cultural traits. Of these tribal groups of people, Boro forms an important section of the population in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam whose identity and culture are little known to the outside people. If traced thoroughly, they are found within the entire states of the national boundary as well as across the state boundary such as Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. At present, the Bodo speakers are found in the Bodoland Territorial Region (henceforth BTR) of Assam. These groups of people call themselves Boro and are known as Kachari by outsiders. The article briefly presents Boros from an ethnolinguistic perspective focusing on the various aspects of Boro society such as people, language, culture, tradition, and so on.

Length-Weight Relationship and Reproductive Biology of the Indian River Shad, Gudusia chapra (Hamilton, 1822) from Central Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, North-East India

Length-Weight Relationship and Reproductive Biology of the Indian River Shad, Gudusia chapra (Hamilton, 1822) from Central Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, North-East India

Genetic Characterization of Indigenous Duck of North-East Region using Microsatellite Markers

Background: Duck farming plays a significant role, next to chicken in the socio-economic uplift men of the rural farmers of North-East India. Pati duck is the most common duck breed in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam and the other common variety reared in North-East India is Chara-Chambeli, however it originatein Kerala. Genetic characterization plays a significant role for formulation of breeding strategies for improvement of any breed. Microsatellites are codominant in nature and are highly polymorphic. High level of allelic variation, co-dominant mode of inheritance and potential for automated analysis make them an excellent tool for genotyping, mapping and genetic characterization. Pati duck is the most common duck breed in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam and the other common variety reared in North-East India is Chara-Chambeli however its origin in Kerela. Therefore, the present investigation was carried out to characterize these two duck breeds using microsatellite markers to evaluate the genetic diversity in these two duck population. Methods: For the present study, Blood sample were collected from 50 Patiducks and 50 Chara-Chambeli ducks from different parts of North-East India. Assessment of genetic characterization of duck breeds of north-east region were carried out using 16 microsatellite markers and population genetics analysis were done by POPGENE software. Result: In the present study, all the studied loci were highly polymorphic. Analysis generated a total of 41 microsatellite alleles. The number of observed alleles (Na) with an overall mean of 1.93±0.258. However, the effective number of alleles (Ne) with a mean of 1.6933±0.2712. The Shannon’s information index was found to a mean value of 0.5685±0.1693. The overall means for observed (HO) and expected (He) heterozygosities were 0.2889±0.2477 and 0.5289±0.0853, respectively. The chi-square (χ2) test for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium revealed that all the loci are in within Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.