Lok Sabha Question No. 3973 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Agricultural Damage by Floods in Assam
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Pradyut Bordoloi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3973

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 17 TH  MARCH, 2026

## AGRICULTURAL DAMAGE BY FLOODS IN ASSAM

3973.    SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  regarding  the  amount  of  crop  losses  reported  in  Assam  due  to  floods,  extreme rainfall  and  other  climatic  conditions  since  2020  along  with  the  resultant  monetary  loss  for  the farmers, year-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has assessed the economic impact of recurrent floods and erosion on farmers' incomes and food security in the Brahmaputra and Barak river basins;
- (c) if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  the  assessing  authority,  the  findings  thereof  and  the remedial action taken by the Government and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the details of the area under rainfed agriculture in Assam and the effect floods and dry spells have on productivity in the region; and
- (e) the  details  regarding  the  compensation,  crop  insurance  and  disaster  relief  mechanisms provided for farmers affected by repeated floods and erosion in the region since 2020, year-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी

(SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY)

- (a):  As  informed  by  the  State  Government  of  Assam,  the  details  of  cropped  area  loss  in  wake  of hydrometeorological disaster during the year 2020-21 to 2025-26 in Assam are as under:
- (b) & (c): As per report of Central Water Commission on "Assessment of Area Affected Due to Floods in India, 2024" based on satellite imageries data from 1986 to 2022, the total flood affected areas in Assam is assessed as 2.477 Mha and area protected through various steps taken for flood management by the Central/State Government is 2.110 Mha.

| Year    | Crop Area loss due to flood (in hectare)   | Crop area loss in storm/ hailstorm (in hectare)   |
|---------|--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| 2020-21 | 1,88,087.38                                | 904.5                                             |
| 2021-22 | 19,635.62                                  | N/A                                               |
| 2022-23 | 2,46,000                                   | 242.73                                            |
| 2023-24 | 21,000                                     | 2,410.153                                         |
| 2024-25 | 49,580.43                                  | 11.04                                             |
| 2025-26 | 7,958.12                                   | 22.6                                              |

(d): As per the Land Use Statistics at a glance 2023-24, net Un-irrigated/ rainfed area in Assam is reported 2287000 hectares. The productivity of agriculture crops in the country including Assam has been fluctuating over the years. The Agricultural productivity is influenced by a wide range of factors, including soil conditions, weather, rainfall and temperature scenario, levels of irrigation, land-holding size,  types  of  seeds  being  used,  manure  /  fertilizer  usage,  farming  practices  etc.  These  factors contribute to inter-State variation in the productivity of crops.

(e): As  per  the  National  Policy  on  Disaster  Management  (NPDM),  the  State  Government  is primarily responsible for providing necessary relief measures on ground level in the wake of notified calamities including floods. The State Governments undertake relief measures in the wake of natural calamities  from  funds  available  in  the  form  of  the  State  Disaster  Response  Fund  (SDRF)  in accordance with the Government of India approved items and norms. Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is considered from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), as per laid down procedure, in case of disaster of 'severe nature', which includes an assessment based on the visit  of  an  Inter-Ministerial  Central  Team  (IMCT)  and  a  memorandum  for  assistance  under  NDRF submitted by the State/ UT Government. The financial assistance provided under SDRF and NDRF is by  way  of  relief  and  not  for  compensation.  The  details  of  funds  allocated  and  released  under SDRF/NDRF during last five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 to Assam are as under:

| S. No.   | Year    |   Allocation under SDRF including Centre and State Share (Rs. in crore) |   Centre's Share of SDRF Released (Rs. in crore) | Release from NDRF (for all calamities) (Rs. in crore)   |
|----------|---------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| 1        | 2020-21 |                                                                   686.4 |                                            617.6 | 44.37                                                   |
| 2        | 2021-22 |                                                                   686.4 |                                            617.6 | -                                                       |
| 3        | 2022-23 |                                                                   720.8 |                                            648.8 | 250.00                                                  |
| 4        | 2023-24 |                                                                   756.8 |                                            680.8 | -                                                       |
| 5        | 2024-25 |                                                                   795.2 |                                            716   | 29.02                                                   |
|          | Total   |                                                                  3645.6 |                                           3280.8 | 323.39                                                  |

Govt  of  India  implements  a  centrally  sponsored  "Flood  Management  and  Border  Areas Programme (FMBAP)" for providing central assistance to States for works related to flood control, anti-erosion, drainage  development, anti-sea erosion, etc. during 2021-26. Total  111 Flood Management  and  Anti  Erosion  Projects  under  Flood  Management  and  Border  Areas  Programme (FMBAP) in Assam have been completed which give protection from flood to an area of around 7.36 Lakh Ha and protected a population of about 17.45 million from flood. Central share amounting to Rs. 1582.54 crore has been released to Assam till March, 2025.

Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojna  (PMFBY)  is  implemented  by  the  Govt  of  India  which provides    comprehensive  risk  insurance  against  crop  damage  from  pre-sowing  to  post-harvest  for crops and area notified by the concerned State Government . This scheme is voluntary for States as well as farmers. The State of Assam has opted to implement the scheme since its inception in 2016. Year-wise details of claims paid and Farmer Applications benefitted under PMFBY in Assam during the last five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 (as on 31.12.2025) are as under:

| Year    |   Paid Claims (Rs. In Crore) |   Farmer Applications Benefitted (lakh) |
|---------|------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| 2020-21 |                       188.04 |                                    3.07 |
| 2021-22 |                       256.41 |                                    2.89 |
| 2022-23 |                        20.09 |                                    0.26 |
| 2023-24 |                        62.83 |                                    1.02 |
| 2024-25 |                        90.47 |                                    1.38 |