After the floods: Livelihood initiative gives families of Nepalikhuti a fresh economic start

For families in flood-affected settlements of Assam, the road to recovery is increasingly moving beyond immediate relief towards restoring livelihoods and creating dependable sources of income. 

A post-flood livelihood restoration initiative by Guwahati-based development organisation APRINS is providing affected households with productive assets, employment opportunities and community infrastructure to help them rebuild their economic security.

The initiative was formally launched on August 13, 2026, at Nepali Khuti, Garmur Miri, one of the settlements severely affected by the recent floods. It has been designed to address a critical gap in post-disaster recovery: helping families regain the means to earn after their livelihoods and productive assets have been destroyed.

Before rolling out the programme, APRINS conducted a detailed survey across the affected villages. The assessment focused on understanding how individual households earned their livelihoods before the floods, what assets and equipment they had lost and what specific support would enable them to resume their occupations.

The exercise was aimed at ensuring that rehabilitation support was tailored to the actual economic needs of each household rather than being limited to food, relief supplies and other immediate assistance.

The survey and subsequent launch of the initiative were led by APRINS Founder and Managing Director Chandan Borthakur, who accompanied the organisation's field team during its assessment of the affected areas.

One of the beneficiaries is Pradip Pradhan, whose family had depended entirely on livestock for its income before the floods swept away its entire holding. With the family's primary livelihood destroyed, Pradhan has now been engaged as a Field Coordinator with APRINS, giving the household a stable source of income while creating a pathway towards greater financial independence.

For five electricians, the restoration of livelihoods has come through the replacement of essential work equipment. Robi Giri, Dipok Majhi, Shivam Mirdha, Bikash Pradhan and Nazirul Hussain lost their tools in the floods, leaving them unable to resume their trade. APRINS has provided them with mechanical drills and electrical equipment kits, allowing them to return to work and rebuild their earning capacity.

The initiative has also addressed a basic community requirement. A tubewell has been contributed for community use, helping restore access to a dependable source of water and strengthening the settlement's recovery infrastructure.

“Rehabilitation is a long process. As an Assam-based organisation, we will continue to look for avenues in the livelihood support space to help the people affected by these floods,” said Borthakur.

The organisation has said the survey will remain the basis for the next phase of its response. Further livelihood interventions are expected to be introduced in a phased manner, with support tailored to the needs and occupations of affected families.

For households that lost livestock, tools and other income-generating assets to the floods, such interventions provide a transition from dependence on emergency assistance to renewed economic activity. By restoring the means to work and earn, the initiative is helping affected families build a more secure foundation for the months ahead.