More than 500 people from two villages in Assam’s Jamunamukh district are living on the railway lines, which are the only high ground that hasn’t been flooded.
Residents of Changjurai and Patia Pathar villages have been left in the dark after losing almost everything in the floods. In the previous five days, the residents who have taken shelter under tarpaulin sheets claim they have received little help from the state government and district administration.
Monwara Begum, 43, and her family are living in an improvised shelter after floodwaters destroyed their home in Patia Pathar village. In their quest to survive the floods, four more families have joined them. They’re all living in appalling conditions, under the same sheet, with almost no food.
“For three days we were under the open sky, we then took some money on credit and bought this tarpaulin sheet. We are five families living under the same sheet, there is no privacy,” said Monwara Begum.
Beauty Bordoloi’s family is also living under a tarpaulin sheet after losing their home in Changjurai hamlet. “Floods wiped off our ready-to-harvest paddy crop. Because surviving in this manner is incredibly tough, the scenario remains uncertain ” she told media.
“The situation is incredibly difficult; there is no safe drinking water, and we only eat once a day. Over the previous four days, we’ve just received some flattened rice ” Sunanda Doloi, a relative of Ms Bordoloi, stated.
Assam’s flood situation remains grave, affecting nearly 8 lakh people in 2,585 villages across 29 districts. Floods and landslides caused by pre-monsoon rainfall killed fourteen people.
In total, 86,772 people have sought sanctuary in 343 relief camps, with 411 aid distribution centres operational as well. The Army, paramilitary soldiers, and national and state disaster relief agencies used boats. And helicopters to evacuate 21,884 people from flood-affected areas.
