From survival to rebuilding: Assam flood victims face long road to recovery

For Mukul and Bonti Bezbora, surviving Assam's devastating floods meant clinging to a floating wooden divan for 12 hours as raging waters swept through their home. They escaped with their lives, but almost everything they owned was lost.

The septuagenarian couple from Nazira in Sivasagar district, the worst-affected area in this year's floods, were rescued by boat on 20 July after spending a terrifying night trapped inside their inundated house. With their mobile phones rendered useless after the batteries ran out, they remained cut off from the outside world until rescue teams reached them.

Recalling the ordeal, retired Gargaon College professor Mukul Bezbora said the floodwaters rose rapidly after nightfall on 19 July.

Hearing the roar of the incoming water, the couple climbed onto an old wooden divan used to store quilts. As the water level continued to rise, the divan itself began floating, keeping them above the floodwaters throughout the night.

The force of the current overturned furniture and household appliances, leaving their home devastated.

When they eventually returned after the waters receded, they found rooms buried under thick layers of mud and debris. Truckloads of silt had to be removed, yet several inches remained inside the house, making it difficult to determine whether any belongings could be salvaged.

Having lived in Nazira since the early 1990s, Bezbora said he had never witnessed flooding of such magnitude.

Despite his own losses, he expressed concern for families who had lost not only their homes but also their livelihoods, urging authorities to expedite rehabilitation efforts.

Elsewhere in Sivasagar, Madhusmita Borthakur endured an equally anxious experience as floodwaters rapidly engulfed the ONGC Colony where she lived with her two young daughters.

With her husband away on field duty, Borthakur found herself alone as the water continued to rise. Fearing for the safety of her nine-year-old and three-year-old daughters, she eventually secured a place in an open van and sought refuge at a friend's house in an area that escaped flooding.

The disaster also left families outside the affected districts anxiously waiting for news from loved ones. A police officer posted in Guwahati said he was unable to contact relatives living near Simaluguri railway station after communication links failed during the flooding. The family only learnt they were safe when a phone call came through two days later.

Although floodwaters have begun to recede across much of Assam, thousands of survivors now face the difficult task of clearing damaged homes, restoring livelihoods and recovering from the emotional trauma left behind by one of the state's worst floods in recent years.

The floods affected more than six lakh people at their peak and claimed 68 lives across Assam. While rescue operations have largely concluded, the focus has now shifted towards rehabilitation and helping communities rebuild after the devastation.

With PTI inputs