Assam floods: ‘Everything we earned was destroyed in seconds’—Sivasagar’s Bihari Basti struggles to rebuild

Bihari Basti, Bihubor, Nepali Khuti and Railwayghat are among the worst-affected areas in Assam’s Sivasagar district following the devastating floods of July 19, with several families losing their homes, belongings and livelihoods.

Displaced residents are currently taking shelter on higher ground near the Bihubor daily market, where they have erected small makeshift tents after floodwaters inundated their homes and swept away household possessions.

Residents said the scale and speed of the flooding caught them unprepared. Incessant rainfall from July 18 had raised concerns, but many did not anticipate the sudden and massive surge of water that would engulf entire localities.

A flood-affected resident of Bihubor Railwayghat said the family was inside their home when floodwaters suddenly entered the area, leaving little time to move to safety.

“We never expected such a huge flood. It had been raining continuously since July 18, but nobody thought that such a devastating flood would come. We were inside our house, while our son was outside. Suddenly, a huge volume of water came and flooded our home and the entire area,” the resident said.

He said the floodwaters washed away household goods and destroyed everything the family had accumulated over the years.

“My wife was swept under the water twice, but we somehow managed to save her. Everything that I earned throughout my life was destroyed within seconds,” he said.

Another flood victim, Anjali Karmakar, a resident of Bihubor’s No. 2 Quarry area, recalled the terrifying moments when floodwaters rose to her neck, forcing the family to seek refuge on the roof of a nearby house.

“When the water reached my neck, my husband carried our children on his shoulders and took them to the roof of a nearby house. Later, we were brought here by boat at night. We lost everything in this flood,” Karmakar said.

The July 19 deluge caused widespread devastation across several parts of Upper Assam, with Sivasagar among the worst-hit districts. In the affected areas, floodwaters damaged houses, washed away household belongings and disrupted livelihoods, forcing many families to move to safer locations.

For residents now living under temporary shelters near the Bihubor market, the immediate challenge is to rebuild their lives after losing homes and essential possessions. Many remain dependent on relief and assistance as they wait for floodwaters to recede and authorities to complete damage assessments.

The devastation in Bihari Basti, Bihubor, Nepali Khuti and Railwayghat has highlighted the urgent need for sustained rehabilitation support, including safe housing, livelihood assistance and long-term measures to protect vulnerable communities from future floods.