Assam floods: Walking through knee-deep water with CM, survivor recounts how a roller saved his family

Walking through knee-deep floodwaters alongside Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during his visit to Nazira, flood survivor Utpal recounted how a road roller became a lifeline for his family during the devastating July 19 floods.

Utpal said the roller had been stationed on a road when floodwaters suddenly surged into the area. As the water level rose rapidly and their home became unsafe, he managed to pull his father and mother onto the roof of the heavy vehicle.

The family then remained stranded on top of the roller for more than eight hours, surrounded by floodwaters, before they could be brought to safety.

Narrating the ordeal to the chief minister while walking through the inundated locality, Utpal described the terrifying struggle to save his parents as the floodwaters continued to rise.

The stationary road roller provided the family with an elevated platform and became their only refuge during the crisis. With large parts of the area submerged and normal routes cut off, the family had no option but to remain on its roof and wait for help.

The interaction took place during Sarma’s on-ground assessment of flood-hit areas in Sivasagar, where the chief minister walked through knee-deep water to witness the devastation firsthand and hear accounts from affected residents.

The July 19 floods caused widespread destruction across Upper Assam, particularly in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts, leaving families displaced and damaging homes, roads, farmland and livelihoods.