Assam Floods: Volunteers travel hundreds of kilometres to help Sivasagar rebuild

While government agencies continue relief and rehabilitation efforts in Assam's flood-hit districts, volunteers from different parts of the Northeast have travelled hundreds of kilometres to help families in Sivasagar rebuild their lives.

 

From distributing food and essential supplies to constructing temporary shelters, these volunteers have been working quietly in villages devastated by the recent floods.

 

One such volunteer is Hemanta Kalita, who travelled nearly 400 kilometres from Sualkuchi to Sivasagar with a group of young volunteers. Working independently, the team has been distributing relief materials directly to flood-affected families instead of operating under any organisation.

 

Kalita said the group is also trying to raise awareness about the large amount of plastic waste generated during relief operations.

 

"We came here only with the intention of helping people affected by the floods. Relief materials are mostly packed in plastic bags, and if these are left behind after the floods, they could create another environmental problem. The government should take necessary steps to collect and properly dispose of these plastic wastes," he said.

 

In Nepali Khuti village, where the floods washed away almost every house, members of the Gorkha Union from Naginijan in Nagaland have been constructing small bamboo huts to provide temporary shelter for displaced families.

 

Relief has also come from nearly 250 kilometres away, with a team from the Composite Hospital of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Tezpur, reaching Sivasagar with food and other essential items. In collaboration with the NGO Manabatar Swarthat Aami, the team distributed relief materials among flood-affected families living in remote villages.

 

Another volunteer group, the Lalpahar Sema Students Union from Jagun, travelled around 200 kilometres to deliver relief supplies. The organisation handed over the materials to Dikhowmukh College, from where they are being distributed to families in need.

 

"We came to stand with the flood-affected people of Sivasagar during this difficult time. We brought essential relief materials and handed them over so they could reach those who need them the most," the president of the students' union said.

 

Even as floodwaters have receded in many areas, thousands of families continue to rebuild homes, recover lost belongings and restart their lives. For many of them, these volunteers—travelling long distances without seeking recognition—have become a vital source of support, showing that acts of compassion continue long after the floodwaters begin to disappear.