Heavy floods have devastated homes and displaced numerous households in the Bajali district of Assam. While the flood situation has marginally improved, locals have taken to living on embankments as their homes have been destroyed. Gagan Talukdar, a resident of Doloigaon Shantipur village in Assam, along with 15 other families, have been living on embankments for the past five days since the flood waters entered their homes. Gagan said, the flood waters washed away many household items and damaged my home. There was about 4 feet of water inside my home. These floods have had a devastating and extremely destructive impact on the residents of Assam’s Bajali district.
Harin Talukdar, another villager, said that the floodwaters damaged his goats and banana business, leaving him with nothing. Even though the government provided relief materials and some NGOs had assisted them, it is insufficient. Meanwhile, villagers are suffering from illness and anxiety due to the traumatic experience they have gone through. Furthermore, other villagers like Dipa Talukdar and Hriday Talukdar are struggling to find a viable solution to their bleak conditions.
According to the flood report of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), about 1.56 lakh people from 11 districts continue to be affected by the floods as 563 villages remain flooded. Meanwhile, nearly 48 villages in the Bajali district are still underwater. The death toll has risen to five after two children drowned in the floodwaters in the last 24 hours in Barpeta district.
While the flood situation is slowly improving, 2,915 flood-affected people are still staying in 29 relief camps set up by the district administration in five districts. It is high time the government took significant action to bring the situation under control and provide the much-needed support to the victims of this calamitous natural disaster.
