About Mac Area

Mising Autonomous Council (MAC) area is situated along the Brahmaputra and Subansiri rivers, spanning from their headwaters in Tinsukia and Dhemaji districts to the Kaziranga National Park in Golaghat district, and up to the Jiabhoroli river in the north. The Mising people, belonging to the North Assam branch of the Tibeto-Burman linguistic group, primarily inhabit the floodplains or water meadows on both banks of these rivers. Additionally, they reside on the numerous braid-bars or eyots along the Brahmaputra and Subansiri rivers.

In addition to the Mising tribe, other scheduled tribes such as the Bodos, Hajongs, Garos, Rabhas, Sonowal Kacharis, and Deuris, as well as non-tribal communities, also inhabit the MAC area. The region's landscape is dotted with small rivers, rivulets, and water bodies, which once provided abundant opportunities for prosperous livelihoods.

However, following the devastating earthquake of 1950, the behavior and characteristics of the Brahmaputra and Subansiri rivers underwent significant changes. Recurrent high floods and fluvial erosion became regular occurrences, leading to the displacement of numerous villages, extensive loss of arable land, deposition of sand in paddy fields, and silting up of natural water bodies and ponds. Consequently, what was once known as the rice bowl of Assam, particularly the erstwhile Lakhimpur district (now Lakhimpur and Dhemaji), has become one of Assam's worst flood-affected districts, with poverty rampant among its inhabitants. In response to these challenges, people have been compelled to clear forest areas for resettlement.

Floods and fluvial erosion remain the primary issues plaguing the entire MAC area. Therefore, it is imperative for MAC, in collaboration with the State Water Resources department, to strive diligently to find sustainable solutions and devise livelihood strategies that are compatible with the region's flood-prone terrain. This entails not only mitigating the adverse impacts of floods and erosion but also fostering resilient livelihoods that can withstand such challenges

Economic Condition of MAC Area

The Mising Autonomous Council (MAC) area is characterized by a lack of industrial activity, with agriculture and allied sectors being the primary economic drivers. These activities are largely underdeveloped or primitive in nature, with farmers still using traditional methods such as wooden plows pulled by bullocks, and weavers employing primitive throw shuttle looms. Livestock, including cattle and pigs, roam freely in the open, while women often gather in groups to collect edibles from the forest or wetlands.

Despite their unorganized and primitive nature, agriculture remains a mainstay of the economy, with rice, mustard oil seed, and black gram being produced abundantly during the winter months. Fishing also contributes significantly to livelihoods, relying on naturally occurring fish in rivers and other water bodies. Other economic activities such as cattle rearing, piggery, sericulture, and handloom weaving are small-scale homestead activities without large-scale organized production.

There is an urgent need for intervention in the form of skill upgrading, farm mechanization, irrigation infrastructure development, introduction of high-yielding crop varieties, and organizing farmers into self-help groups (SHGs), joint liability groups (JLGs), and cooperative societies. This would help in promoting organized and scientific farming practices, thereby transforming the economic landscape of the region.

In addition to the traditional cultivation of paddy, oilseeds, and pulses, there is ample scope for the development of fisheries, piggery, cattle rearing, sericulture, and handloom weaving as commercial activities in the MAC area. However, this requires long-term strategic planning and effective interventions to unleash the economic potential of these sectors and uplift the livelihoods of the local population.