Northeastern India’s Assam state experienced devastating floods in mid-July that claimed at least 100 lives and affected approximately 1.2 million people across 25 districts. The disaster displaced residents across 456 villages, with 252 relief camps established to house over 75,000 people. More than 19,000 homes sustained damage as floodwaters swept through the region, with Sivasagar district among the hardest-hit areas.
In Charing village, resident Bornali Baruah faced an unprecedented situation when water inundated her home for the first time in her four decades of living there. With her 97-year-old mother-in-law unable to walk and no rescue assistance available, Baruah fashioned a makeshift raft from banana trunks to transport the elderly woman through three to four feet of rushing water toward a shelter camp situated on a nearby national highway. The family spent ten days in the relief camp following their escape, where they received government-provided aid and assistance from fellow residents.
The flooding destroyed much of Baruah’s livestock operation, which she had developed after leaving journalism in 2016 and was subsequently recognized as Assam’s best livestock farmer. She reported losing most of her 300 goats, 300 ducks, 300 chickens, and significant quantities of fish, along with farm equipment and household possessions. The lack of livestock insurance in the region left her with no financial recourse for the losses.
Geography professor Dhrubajyoti Sahariah attributed the floods’ increased severity to factors beyond natural river behavior. While flooding represents an annual occurrence in Assam’s lowland Brahmaputra Valley, he noted that current floods exceed historical patterns in frequency, intensity and severity. Contributing factors include increased settlement on active floodplains, forest clearing, mining activities, and infrastructure development that inadequately accounts for the region’s hydrology. Sahariah emphasized that effective flood management requires basin-scale planning and coordination among multiple states, as many tributaries originate outside Assam’s borders.
Baruah indicated she intends to remain in Charing despite the disaster, citing lack of economic and social circumstances necessary for relocation. She expressed plans to adapt by raising her home’s foundation and establishing elevated platforms for emergency retreat, though she remained uncertain about financing these modifications. Her response reflected a determination to rebuild while acknowledging the need to prepare for potential future flooding events.
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