Community-run irrigation canals revived in Assam

The Hindu

17-06-2025

Dong, an age-old water distribution system of the indigenous Bodo community living along the border with Bhutan, has been revived in north-central Assam's Udalguri district.
The Bhawani Dong in Uttor Garuajhar village and the Orang Dong in the No. 2 Sonajuli village, both in the district's Bhergaon Block, were rejuvenated recently under a programme to restore traditional water management systems and strengthen rural resilience.
A dong is a community-managed water channel. It diverts water from rivers through earthen canals to irrigate agricultural land and fill ponds for household and farming needs. The dong system is especially followed near the India-Bhutan border, where water scarcity during the dry season — January to March — is a recurring challenge.
However, these systems have been rendered non-functional due to neglect, sedimentation, and climate-related changes over the years.
Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation organisation, engaged with the communities to help rejuvenate the dongs.
The Bhawani Dong caters to No. 1 Garuajhar, Orangajuli, and Uttor Garuajhar. It serves about 1,500 households and a population exceeding 10,000.
The canal's water flow reduced drastically during the dry months over the years, leaving farmlands parched and downstream villages such as Kachari Basti, Gaonburha Basti, and Jhara Basti with little or no access to water. The situation contributed to reduced agricultural output and growing hardship.
Following its restoration, the Bhawani Dong now delivers a consistent flow of water, enabling timely irrigation, reactivating abandoned agricultural land, and improving water availability even in previously neglected downstream areas.
The Orang Dong in the No. 2 Sonajuli village, with around 120 households and a population of over 650, is the primary source of irrigation for nearly 500 bighas of farmland. Its revival has helped the villagers resume cultivation activities, assured of reduced risk of crop failure.
'Community involvement at every stage, from identifying repair needs to contributing labour for clearing blockages and maintaining flow paths, marked the effort to restore both these dongs,' Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, Aaranyak's deputy executive director, said.