Assam Floods: Sahadut Ali Sheikh and Family Forced to Live in Tent After Losing Home

Goalpara, Assam

In Assam’s Goalpara district, 65-year-old Sahadut Ali Sheikh and his family are now living in a small makeshift tent near their original house after losing their home and land due to erosion by the Brahmaputra River.

Sahadut Ali Sheikh, a resident of Muamari village, shared, “The Brahmaputra River swallowed all – my own house, land, and croplands. Now my family is living under this makeshift tent. The government does not allow us to construct houses on embankments. Where will we go? Now we are living near the river. My sons are daily wage laborers. We have no land. Our original house is now in the middle of the river. 10-12 days ago, the river swallowed our home.”

He added, “We have no future now. If the government will help us, then we will live, otherwise, we will face more hardship in the near future. We can’t buy new land to construct a new house, because we aren’t in that position. I have three sons and all are daily wage laborers. During the recent flood, we also faced massive problems. We were forced to live here in 5-6 feet of deep water during the flood.”

Khursida Khatun, Sahadut Ali Sheikh’s daughter-in-law, said, “During the flood, the government had given us some relief, but it is not sufficient for us. We live here by eating only once. I have only a girl child and we can’t think about her future in this situation. My husband is a daily wage laborer and he also can’t go outside to search for work during this flood situation. We have no other income source. If we will not get any land to live, how can we care for our child and her future?”

Sahruf Hussain, another resident, mentioned that many people have lost their homes and many have left the area. “Earlier, the Brahmaputra River swallowed many villages, mosques, temples, and school buildings. Nearly 500 families in this area have been affected by river erosion and flood,” he said.

Bikram Ravi Das, also from Muamari village, said, “The local MLA didn’t visit this area or help us. Many people are still breaking their houses and ready to go to other, safer places. Recently, nearly 200 houses have gone due to erosion. People are suffering lots of problems here.”

The soil erosion continues in parts of Goalpara, Barpeta, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Kamrup, and Morigaon districts. According to the Assam government, the state has lost more than 4.27 lakh hectares of land due to the soil erosion of the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries. The flood situation in Assam remains grim, with the death toll rising to more than 90 as per the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA). More than 5 lakh people across 18 districts are reeling under the deluge, with Assam’s Cachar being the worst-hit district.