Agriculture:

The BKWAC area is completely rural and its economy is fully agrarian. Land is mostly owned by small and marginal farmers practicing subsistence agriculture with single/double crop. Paddy is the staple crop with pockets of cash crop and peripheral crop growers. Farm mechanization is in a very nascent stage. The 40% BKWAC area is flood prone which is a natural deterrent to intensive agriculture. Owing to the uncertainty due to flood, people desist from capital intensive crop. Traditionally, a small portion of land is used for mustard oil seed and Autumn rice (Ahu) cultivation. With improvement of road connectivity network, effective motivation and well-timed supply of inputs, large number of farmers can be engaged during autumn and winter season:

Animal Husbandry & Veterinary:

Livestock holds an important key to livelihood and economic growth in BKWAC area as majority tribal population practice piggery on small homestead basis, which are being assisted to develop into organized piggery unit with better breed. Demand for meat is ever increasing which can only be addressed by small scale but large in numbers of poultry farms. Schemes are taken up to train entrepreneurs, SHGs etc. to establish poultry farms and goat rearing with bank linkage.

Fisheries:

The BKWAC will take up following steps:Fish farming or pisciculture holds immense potentiality as a viable alternative mode of livelihood as well as commercial venture inBKWAC area. What is required is awareness and training on Integrated Fish-farming. BKWAC orgainises awareness meetings for intending fish farmers in coordination with State Fishery deptt. and at other resource centre.

Handloom & Textiles:

Next to agriculture, handloom is the largest unorganized sector of livelihood. Every woman of the Boro community is a weaver and Boro handloom products, particularly women wearDokhana, Fasra, Aronai etc are high on demand. But Boro weavers use the primitive looms of bamboo frame, bamboo reed and through-shuttles which hinder maintenance of quality and quantum of production. The BKWAC will launch a mission with perspective plan on Boro handloom and textile with the following objective.

Social Forestry:

Scheme for infrastructure building and financial support to various cottage industries like Bee keeping, Cane & Bamboo crafts, knitting & embroidery, Pottery, etc. along with skill up-gradation training are executed. Tool kits are procured and distributed among rural artisans, craftsmen etc.

Cottage Industry:

Loss of natural forest cover is one of the causes of devastating impact of flood and erosion in BKWAC area. It has also rendered minor forest produces like – firewood, leaves, edible plants, medicinal plants etc. scarce for the community. BKWAC is taking up schemes to restore community forest and establish Edible plant and Medicinal Plant Gardens. Plantation along roads and river banks will also be taken up.

Rural Road & Bridges:

Construction, Repairing & Maintenance of rural roads, culverts, bridges, Govt. or Council buildings, other public works etc. which fall under the BKWAC area are taken up after obtaining NoC and non-duplicity certificate from the concerned deptt.

Sericulture:

Boro Women are traditional grower of wild silk –Endi. Apart from the silk yarn produced from Endi rearing, the pupa or chrysalis of Endi is much sought after delicacy among the indigenous population. Because of its high protein and fat content. But owing to recurring scarcity of feeder plant, lack of incentives, market linkage etc. problems, the trade is now gradually dwindling away. What is required now is a massive revamping of sericulture with a holistic approach. In this stage, necessary inputs will be provided as incentive to the farmers.

Education:

Education scenario in BKWAC area is very backward. Most of the educational institutions and academic atmosphere are affected by the following factors:

Cultural Affairs:

The Boro and other indigenous communities inherit a rich folk art and culture which is the most important element of self-identity. But it is under threat of withering away due to lack of proper attention for preservation, promotion and development. The BKWAC is taking up schemes and program for preservation and practices of the art and culture of Boro and all other communities residing in BKWAC area.

Panchayat & Rural Development:

Construction, Repairing & Maintenance of any socio-economic community assets; rural roads & dykes, highland platform, schools; infrastructure for supporting Agriculture, Horticulture, Pisciculture, Animal husbandry etc.; infrastructural and financial support to SHGs/JLGs, Grant-in-Aid/Financial assistance to NGO/ Society etc. are being taken up. Endeavour will be made to coordinate all works with the PRIs for synergy and to avoid duplicity.

The BKWAC will also make co-ordination with the State P&RD Deptt., NIRD, SIRD, NEDFi and other such institutions for Transfer of Technology, Skill Up-gradation training etc.

PHE:

Safe Drinking water facility and sanitation are major areas calling for intervention of substantial nature in BKWAC area. It is a common practice to defecate in the open and drink water from river, pond, nullah etc. in the tribal villages. Demands for installation of shallow/deep tube wells, ring wells and supply of hand tube wells are very high and BKWAC have no option but to attend to such demands with utmost priority. Community drinking water supply schemes are being taken up in phased manner in select clusters. Public/community toilets in various public places have been constructed.

Irrigation:

Agricultural practices of the majority Boro people are still primitive in nature with rain dependent single crop cultivation and the BKWAC shall have to introduce organised scientific cultivation with multi crop practice of high yielding varieties. The schemes/works under Irrigation department are to be in tandem with the schemes/works under Agriculture department. Schemes like boring of wells, gully control, digging of channel, construction of bund, water reservoir, procurement of pumps etc are taken up by BKWAC.

The BKWAC will seek co-ordination from the state Irrigation Deptt. and other agencies for identification and preparation of works, technical supervision and implementation of works and asset maintenance.

Social Welfare:

Implementation of Central or State sponsored schemes as per Govt. guideline. Besides, schemes for welfare of women, children, old age people, differently able persons are also taken up. Schemes like setting up of old age home, crèche, children parks etc. are being planned.

Water Resource:

Flood and fluvial erosion continues to be the principal problem affecting the 40% population of the BKWAC area. Being entirely low-lying flood plains and riverine, the BKWAC areas get inundated every year by flood of river Brahmaputra and its tributaries and there are regular disasters caused by breach of dykes washing away villages, casting thick layers of sand on paddy fields. Such disasters have been happening regularly due to lack of sensible and well-timed maintenance and repairing of the dykes. Failure on the part of the appropriate authority in time to supplication for sanction of few lakhs of rupees to repair a damaged dyke has led, on most occasions, to breach of a dyke during flood. The same story holds true for fluvial erosion too leading to loss of hundreds of hectares of agricultural land. The BKWAC, as an autonomous body can intervene here very effectively with timely action attending to urgent situations which are not of highly technical nature.

Sports & Youth Welfare:

Development of Playground, Grant-in-Aid to Sports club/Youth Club/Associations, supply of sports materials, assistance to individual for participation in various competitions/events, arrangement of Athletics competition on various events, football and volleyball competitionetc. have been executed.

Tourism:
There are many areas with potentiality for development as ecotourism, cultural and/or ethno-tourism destination. But the main constraint in development of tourism in BKWAC area is lack of quality infrastructure and service.The BKWAC in coordination with tourism department of Assam and other agencies should focus on building infrastructure and providing service. A number of regular festivals can be sponsored by BKWAC with handloom/handicraft fair, ethnic food stalls, cultural showcase etc. to attract tourists.

Health & Family Welfare:
The basic objective of Schemes/works under Health & Family Welfare department of BKWAC is to fill up gaps in NRHM works. There are large numbers of Health Sub-centres in BKWAC area, particularly in remote riverine areas or river islands/eyots without any house/building and/or Nurse’s quarter. The nurse, posted in such Sub-centres, abstain from duty on the plea of lack of any building/quarter there. Presently, Rural Health Practitioners are being posted in such Sub-centres without any quarter to stay.

WPT&BC:
A wide range of schemes, preferably in coordination with other departments and particularly to fill up gaps are taken up under WPT&BC department. However, as the thrust of BKWAC would be to remove backwardness, improve infrastructure, health, education, sanitation, drinking water, employment generation and other such supplementary schemes are taken up under WPT&BC. Besides, schemes for strengthening of the voluntary sector, SHGs and Cooperative are also taken up.