RADHIKA Devbarman was busy clearing dust from her newly harvested rice on the veranda of her house. The widow, who belongs to the ‘Tipra’ ethnic minority has 165 decimals of land piece for cultivating crops and fruits.

   This year, she cultivated half of her land for rice to meet her family’s demands but she did not get the harvest she expected. Even the production has been reduced for lack of rains compared to the previous year. She says ‘Other crops, like lemons, pineapple and jackfruits have also been affected by the lack of rains. For example, in past years I harvested up to 800 lemons from a single tree. This year I harvested only 50 to 60 lemons from a tree.’

   Radhika works at the paddy field and fruit garden with her two minor sons. She is the principal breadwinner. ‘I lost my crops last year due to untimely storms and water-flow from hilly areas, but this year, my crop production reduced for lack of proper rains.’

   Radhika thinks that the shortage of rainfall and high temperature are not only damaging her crops but also her livestock. ‘I had three cows, now, I have nothing. I, and also the other farmers of my village get little food for the cattle. Like me, many of them have sold their cattle.’ According to her, during winter and summer, the scarcity of hay and grass becomes acute.

   ‘In my younger days, the rain, the winters and summers all had specific times. The summers were not as hot. My father used to cultivate and harvest crops following the natural calendar. Now I am afraid of prolonged summer and sudden flood.’

   She says that she cannot use surface and ground water for her cultivation because the little amount water cannot meet the demand of the villagers. It hampers the whole areas’ crop production. Due to prolonged flood and dryness in winter, vegetation of her village has also decreased and the increase in temperature and less rainfall in winter has made most of the land barren.

ZONE
   Northern and Eastern Piedmont plain
   
   CHANGES
   * Changes in rainfall pattern (increased in monsoon and decreased in winter)
   * Increased temperatures in monsoon and winter
   * Humidity
   
   POTENTIAL IMPACTS
   * Flood and Flash flood
   * Land Erosion