Archive · 11 Jan 2026
DVC to release extra water for boro farming
The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) has agreed to release extra water to help farmers grow rice in the winter season.
This is called boro cultivation.
The water will be given to five districts in South Bengal.
Farmers have been asking for more water because they are growing rice on more land this year.
The extra water will help them grow their crops better.
The DVC will start releasing the water after 31 January and continue until April.
This will help the farmers use less groundwater, which can be expensive and cause problems like arsenic contamination.
DVC to release 21,000 acre-feet of additional water for boro cultivation in five South Bengal districts.
Total water release this year will be 2 lakh acre-feet, starting after 31 January and continuing in phases until April.
Boro cultivation is the practice of growing rice in the dry, winter season using stored water and supplemental irrigation.
This year, boro cultivation covers about 68,550 hectares across eight districts, with East Burdwan accounting for 37,000 hectares.
Farmers have been demanding additional water due to expanded cultivation areas and inadequate existing irrigation supplies.
- Who
- Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), farmers in five South Bengal districts
- What
- Release of additional water for boro cultivation
- When
- After 31 January, in phases until April
- Where
- East Burdwan, Hooghly, Bankura, West Burdwan, Howrah districts
- Why
- To support boro crop cultivation and address farmers' demands for adequate irrigation
- Water released
- 21,000 acre-feet (additional), 2 lakh acre-feet (total)
- Affected districts
- East Burdwan, Hooghly, Bankura, West Burdwan, Howrah
- Release period
- After 31 January, in phases until April
- Boro cultivation area
- 68,550 hectares (this year), 58,000 hectares (last year)
- East Burdwan cultivation
- 37,000 hectares
- Hooghly cultivation
- 11,000 hectares
- Bankura cultivation
- 11,900 hectares
- Howrah cultivation
- 2,800 hectares
- West Burdwan cultivation
- 1,650 hectares