Dibrugarh: As floodwaters continue to recede in Assam’s Charaideo and Sivasagar districts, they have revealed the scale of devastation left behind, with thousands of families struggling to rebuild their lives after losing homes, belongings and livelihoods.
“We have lost everything in the flood. Our house was damaged. Important documents and utensils were washed away. We are uncertain about our future. I have never seen such devastation in my lifetime. Within a few minutes, everything was gone. It feels like a nightmare,” said Ajit Gogoi, a resident of Betbari in Sivasagar district.
He said thick layers of silt had accumulated inside homes, damaging furniture and making the clean-up process extremely difficult.
“The floodwaters have receded, but we are facing huge problems clearing the silt from our house,” Gogoi said.
Twenty-two-year-old Mohini Mullick, a resident of the Santak area in Sivasagar, said the floods had left her family homeless.
“I’ve lost everything in the flood. Our house was damaged and we couldn’t save anything because we had no time. We just ran from our house after the water started rising. I’ve never seen such devastation in my life,” she said.
Mullick said her family is now living by the roadside after their home was destroyed.
“Food, drinking water, clothes and medicines are our immediate priorities, but we are not getting enough. Local NGOs and people from other districts are helping us, but we have not received sufficient support from the district administration,” she alleged.
She said residents were caught off guard when floodwaters entered the village last Sunday.
“We are facing an acute shortage of drinking water. The local MLA has not visited us so far. We are facing enormous hardship,” she added.
Another resident said the losses were so severe that it could take years for families to recover.
“It will take us at least 15 years to return to normal because we have lost everything. The flood didn’t even give us five minutes to save our belongings. We don’t know how we will survive,” the resident said.
Another villager attributed the sudden flooding to heavy rainfall in neighbouring Nagaland.
“We have never witnessed such destruction. Floodwaters came down from Nagaland after a cloudburst, and within a few hours our house was inundated. We had to flee to a safer place,” the resident said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state government was working on a war footing to provide relief and rehabilitation.
Sharing a post on X, Sarma thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for closely monitoring the flood situation.
“Adarniya Pradhan Mantri ji, thank you for your personal attention to this matter and taking on-ground updates regarding the #AssamFloods. Under your leadership, we are working on a war footing basis to provide relief to our people and so far we have been able to reach every affected village,” he wrote.
The chief minister said electricity had been restored in most flood-hit areas and those rescued were being accommodated in relief camps with food, medical care and facilities for children.
“We will keep working 24×7 to ensure a swift response during this crisis and thereafter present a comprehensive rehabilitation roadmap rooted in the principles of Jan Bhagidari,” he said.
As floodwaters recede, the government’s focus is shifting from immediate relief to restoration, Sarma added.
“Food, tarpaulins, cleaning supplies and other essential items are being distributed to help families return home and rebuild their lives,” he said.
He also said the government was strengthening flood and erosion protection measures, adding that around 60% of restoration work using geotube technology had been completed on the Kakodonga, Bhogdoi, Jhanji and Charaipani embankments in Jorhat district.
The chief minister said disinfection and fogging drives had also begun across affected villages to prevent disease outbreaks.
The Indian Air Force has been assisting relief operations by delivering essential supplies, while various government departments continue to work to support affected families in Charaideo and Sivasagar.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the flood situation improved marginally on Monday, with no fresh deaths reported in the past 24 hours. However, 4,45,495 people across six districts remain affected.
The flood-related death toll in Assam this year stands at 68.
Charaideo remains the worst-affected district, with 1,88,404 people impacted, followed by Sivasagar with 1,44,461 and Jorhat with 74,458.
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