Story of the Assam Floods, 2022
Floods have been growing and causing havoc all over Assam, India, and the neighbouring state, Meghalaya, for the past 15 days. It has affected more than 18 districts of Assam. The extreme precipitation over a time span of just 15 days has caused tremendous devastation in the entire area. The worst-hit are the lower and south Assam districts.
This article is a ground report from various individuals all over Assam to know about the situation they are personally going through. I reached out either personally or via phone to get the gist of what is going on in that particular district. The report is solely based on the personal experience of the individual interviewed for the report.
The districts covered in this analysis are:
Kamrup (M)
Kamrup (R)
Cachar
Darrang
Dima Hasao
Barpeta
Bajali
The article is divided into several sections concerning each district. The districts are in no particular order.
The maps of the different districts are shown in Fig 1.
Cachar
The worst-hit place is the Cachar District. Silchar, one of the major cities in that area is experiencing one of the most severe floods in years.
Smita, a State Bank of India employee who resides on the Silchar Medical College and Hospital campus with her family says the entire campus around her residence is flooded since the 19th of June. They marked themselves safe however the level of water is to the chest level just in front of her house. In the town area where her other friends reside, it is even worst. They have water till their first floors.
Me: What kind of difficulties are you guys facing?
Smita: The vegetable prices are rising due to a lack of supply. Drinking water is not available. People are required to contact NGOs or organizations to even get some drinking water. No electricity or network as of now. Also, all types of transportation come to a near halt i.e connecting roads are blocked, the train lines have derailed,
and even the flight passengers after landing at the city airport can’t travel to their residences.
Me: Do you think the situation is handled well by the administration or is there anything specific you want to be heard?
Smita: Floods occur every year and hence the administration should be ready with all the rescue operations. Moreover no media coverage of this situation. It’s really sad that we have to face this ignorance. There are cousins in my family who needs to travel for a national competitive exam (JEE Mains) which is scheduled in a few days and nobody is bothered about how people from Silchar who are apparently underwater will reach the exam center.
Me: Is it like the first time you are experiencing this extreme situation?
Smita: Absolutely. We do have occasional floods during the monsoon but never have seen something so intense and dangerous, especially in my area to date.
Me: Thank you so much for your time. Take care of yourself and the people nearby.
Smita: Sure. Thanks.
At the point of taking this interview (mid June), Silchar especially is going through a really tough time and the photos I have received are terrifying. I could not ask them about the situation personally at this point, however, got some photographs of the situation in that area. Food supplies are provided by several organizations to the families and many families have relocated to the highlands with their valuables. People are bringing their vehicles to the highland roads and parking there. Till now they have water to their shoulder in several town areas.
Barpeta
The next area we cover is the Barpeta district.
Rishi (name changed on request), a student of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital, Barpeta talks about his observations and experiences in the flood.
Barpeta is one of the worst-hit areas in all of Assam. He resides in one of the boy's hostels on the college campus. The hospital is on a highland due to which they are safe but the entire neighboring areas are under water. Even some of their hostels which are downhill are submerged to the ground floor. He gets emotional even talking about the plight of the people downhill and their survival struggles.
Me: Since when are you facing the flood and what is the flood level in your district?
Rishi: It has been a week, and the whole area is flooded except the hospital area and a few other highlands. The water is up to chest level (not on my campus though) in most of the places.
Me: What are the difficulties faced by the people in your area?
Rishi: Transportation is at a halt. People are leaving their residences to stay in tents set on the roadside. There is no drinking water or food for them, even on the roadside. Children are staying in absolutely unhygienic conditions. Also, many people are reporting about losing their valuables in this chaotic situation.
.
Me: Who do you think is responsible for this havoc?
Rishi: I would just say improper planning by authorities for this question.
Me: Anything more you want to be heard from Barpeta as a responsible situation?
Rishi: Absolutely. Although natural calamities are unpredictable, concerned authorities should be ready for them. At least for the time being give shelter and food to those affected which we can clearly see people here aren't receiving. Although it is not the first time that Barpeta is facing floods, it is certainly one of the worst floods we have seen.
Me: Thank you for your time Rishi. Stay safe and healthy.
Rishi: Thanks.
I have another friend who works in the Public Health Department, who mentioned that his office, as well as in his place of accommodation, is completely flooded with water above the waist level. Also, he mentioned he had to travel to his office via a boat constructed by the villagers.
Special Thanks to Kaushik for providing the above photos from the Barpeta district.
Kamrup (M)
Guwahati, the largest city in the state of Assam, is also equally affected.
Bhargab Das, a recent graduate from Tezpur University has been very kind to have a conversation about the situation very elaborately. He resides in the Rajgarh area of Guwahati, which is one of the most flood-prone areas of the city. This year was the worst nightmare for the residents in the surrounding areas in the context of the flood situation. Guwahati experienced incessant rainfall from the 14th of June till the 19th of June.
Me: Are you safe now, Bhargab?
Bhargab: Currently yes but Rajgarh at present is not a relatively safe area, commercialization has incremented noise as well as air pollution, apart from this flood havoc.
Me: Since when it has been raining and the water level is rising?
Bhargab: This year from the 14th of June, the flood has worsened. The precipitation level is just unexpected at this point of the year. However, we have been experiencing floods for a long time. It is not new to us. Rajgarh has a slowly descending slope and since the area is completely surrounded by hills, the entire area is flooded as soon as it rains.
People were rescued using safety boats in Guwahati
Me: What is the level of water this year?
Bhargab: If I give a body comparison, then it is above the knee below the waist at this point.
Me: Would you like to sight the difficulties you are facing with the flood situation?
Bhargab: Food, drinking water, and proper delivery of medicine for various diseases caused due to stagnant floods are the most relevant difficulties almost everyone in our area is facing.
Me: Who do you think is responsible for the situation we are going through?
Bhargab: Everyone should feel responsible for this never-ending problem, the authorities don't seek excellent surveys and research work for a complete drainage system to tackle the flood water. Also, people should be aware of the fact that the drains have been completely blocked by the garbage. The public shouldn't only rely on authorities all the time. The deforestation of the hills has also caused a major problem as sediments from the flood also block the drains.
Me: Anything more you want to be heard as a responsible citizen of Guwahati?
Bhargab: I want the public to understand that this flood condition is only because of a lack of awareness among the public and not always the authorities to be blamed for all reasons. Every problem can be solved if there exists a complete transparent commission committee to decide, execute, and survey taking into consideration the educated civilian/public in a particular area.
Me: How frequent is a flood in your area?
Bhargab: Very Frequent, and in fact on a scale of 10, the occurrence of the flood is 10/10 even on a 10ml amount of rainfall.
Me: That's a lot of information Bhargab! I am so glad you shared such great insights. Thank you so much.
Bhargab: Thank you.
James (name changed on request), a resident of the Odalbakra area, Guwahati also shared his insights about his experiences with this flood. He marks himself safe now, however, another shower of rain might again worsen the situation.
Me: What is the situation now in your residence?
James: The water entered my house twice. The level was midway between foot and knee inside on 14th June. Didn’t enter again in the subsequent showers though after giving proper personal guard.
Me: Did you face any difficulties after the water entered your house?
James: Ofcourse there were some hygiene issues as the water was not all clear. Also lost a few belongings on the first day when water entered inside.
Me: Who do you think is responsible for the situation?
James: I would blame the Government for not planning a proper drainage system in our city and also the common people for disposing of the plastic and other wastes in the drains, which leads to its blockage.
Me: So, is it the first time that you are experiencing such floods?
James: It happens every year. It is not the first time, nevertheless Guwahati this year has seen the worst flood in terms of the water level and intensity.
Me: Thank you for your time. Stay safe
James: Thank you.
Darrang
The next big city has never seen such a disastrous situation at least in the town area. I met Lina and discussed the flood situation in Mangaldoi.
Lina is a resident of the Mangaldoi town and according to her father the area was last flooded so severely only in and around 1988. Two rivers run through Mangaldoi — Bega River and the Mangaldoi River, where the water level has increased above the danger level and flooded the entire area. They marked themselves safe now and the water level has also decreased over the last two days.
Me: What is the level of water this year in Mangaldoi town?
Lina: If I give a body comparison, then it is above the knee, below the waist at this point in the town area, and in the low-lying villages it's above the chest level.
Me: What are the difficulties you are facing with the flood situation?
Lina: Mangaldoi town has never seen such a flood as we are comparatively in the highland. However, this year's flood was extreme and came suddenly. We did not get time to prepare and so we lost a lot of our valuables and livestock. The electricity is down for a long time and also the drinking water supply is really scarce. We are still having some ease with the supplies but the people from the villages who have relocated to the highlands have faced more issues with hygiene. The government is providing some relief in our area.
Me: Who do you think is responsible for the situation we are going through?
Lina: I genuinely do not know who to blame for the situation since this is the very first time I have seen such havoc. I think at this point government is also helping with the rescue. However, I will say the drainage systems could be made better which could have helped to some extent.
Me: Thank you Lina for your time. Stay safe.
Lina: Thank you.
Bajali
Next comes the Bajali District. My friend Prayas, from NIT, Silchar belongs to Pathsala, a town in the Bajali district. They too faced the flood, which is not new to the area but the intensity is surely several times more.
Me: How is the flood situation in your area?
Prayas: It was not at all good a few days back but now it is improving.
Me: What was the level of water, if you can give a comparison?
Prayas: It was pretty high. I live in the town area and it was till the waist over here. I am not aware of the other nearby areas.
Me: What are the difficulties you had to face personally?
Prayas: Electricity was cut out in my area for five long days, which is itself the biggest difficulty we had to face because almost everything in our daily lives is somewhat electrically powered. Other difficulties included the impact on personal livestock. People were struggling to keep the animals safe along with themselves. It was difficult to find a safe spot for them.
Me: Who do you think is primarily responsible?
Prayas: Pathsala area does not usually experience floods like this. It was just this year and the year before that we have been facing this situation (this year was extreme though). Here flood is mostly because of the water released by the Bhutan dam during their need. So, it is not the first time, but yes the most severely damaged time for sure.
Me: Thank you so much for all the information.
Prayas: Thank you.
Kamrup (Rural)
The next worst hit is Kamrup(Rural) district. I talked to my friend's uncle, Mr. Banajit Saloi, a resident of Sanmaguri, Dimu. His village is one of the worst-hit villages of all. They still claim they are not safe and are not in a healthy environment.
Me: Since when you have been facing the flood?
Mr. Saloi: The first wave of flood-hit us on the 16th of June and there is no improvement in the water level since then.
Me: What was the level of water, if you can give a comparison?
Mr. Saloi: The water was up to stomach level in my area.
Me: Would you like to sight the difficulties you faced in this flood?
Mr. Saloi: There was no electricity for a long time, and now there are frequent power cuts. Even the stored food was getting over at a faster rate. There are no means of transportation to move out of the city. Even reptiles like snakes, frogs, etc. come floating inside the house. I’m living with my wife (with a fractured leg) and one-year-old son, so you can imagine what I must be going through. You can also have a look at the photographs.
Me: Would you like to point anything else out about the rescue operations or any emergencies you faced?
Mr. Saloi: There are people who have relocated from their houses to stay in camps. We are provided with some food supplies but I will point out that the amount is considerably less as compared to the size of the families. This problem should have been taken care of more effectively.
Me: Is it the first time you are facing such floods?
Mr. Saloi: It is not the first time. We get it here annually but the severity this time is extreme.
Me: Thank you so much uncle for your time. Please stay safe and connected.
Mr. Saloi: Thank you.
Dima Hasao
Very heavy precipitation has also affected the Haflong region of Dima Hasao. Even though the consequence is not flood, it has resulted in extreme landslides.
I had to mention this place as the roads and infrastructure of Dima Hasao were completely wiped off as a result of this incessant rain.
I had a chat with my friend Iqbal, who presented me with this information from Haflong. He resides in this beautiful town of Haflong and is safe as of now as the rain had stopped in that area and things are recovering.
Me: From when have you faced extreme landslides? Do you remember anything?
Iqbal: I have seen/ heard of landslides from the time I have been residing in Haflong. This year we had it in the mid of May.
Me: How intense was it? Any example you can give?
Iqbal: The roads are disconnected. Parts of mountains are falling down. Recently as many have seen in the media, railway stations, schools, and roads all were buried in my area.
Me: What are the difficulties you are had to go through?
Iqbal: Usually people stock some food, even shopkeepers. And usually, landslides are cleared within a week or more. But prices of a few things like fish, meat, etc surge. This time too there were similar difficulties relating to shortage of supply and eventually rising prices of every essential commodity.
Me: Anything more you want to be heard by a larger audience about the frequent landslides you are experiencing due to rain?
Iqbal: Construction should be made by employing environmentalists. Many times the government constructs without accounting for the quality of soil around. Also, repair work is slow after any disaster.
Me: Are these landslides very frequent in your district?
Iqbal: Usually if there’s heavy downpour for several days at a stretch, there are landslides, so yes it depends on the climate changes over the years.
Me: Thank you Iqbal for your time.
Iqbal: Thank you
It was a mixed experience for me to interview people around Assam and present their struggles during this calamity on a public platform. Almost everyone had the same basic problems before and after the flood-hit them so terribly.
I captured very less of what has happened, nevertheless would love to hear from more people and share their voices.
Special thanks to all who shared their experiences in the form of photos and voices amidst the calamity.
As we move into an uncertain future due to Climate Change, documenting first hand experience of the early stages of these anomalous times could be very interesting. This is a great job done with a lot of patience, especially when I consider that it is a conversation among people experiencing the climate disaster!!