As Waters Recede, 10 Lakh Still Affected in Assam Floods

Guwahati, Assam: Even though rains have weakened and the flood waters are receding in Assam, they have left 64 people dead since June and affected over 10 lakh people, as many of them were marooned in lower parts of the state, getting little or no relief, life has become uncertain for thousands in the relief camps.

Eight-year- old Mushafar Ali had been staying with his family in a relief camp in the worst hit district of Morigaon. He had gone to his flood ravaged home, only to find it still inundated. 

"My books have been washed away in the floods and I cannot go to school it is totally flooded" said Mushafar, who dreams of becoming a doctor. 

For thousands of children in Assam's Brahmaputra valley, flood and erosion are the biggest hurdles. The locals complain that government officials are never seen in the hour of crisis, and they had to manage building some shed of tarpaulin sheets on their own.

"We are somehow surviving. Hardly any help from Government. We did get little relief like rice, but no tarpaulin sheets. Ever years we face flood fury, we are left to rebuild own lives all alone" says Mujida Khatun, another flood victim.

The situation is most difficult for mothers of infants, since baby food is hard to get with flood water all around.

Till today, 10.57 lakh people remain affected in parts of 16 districts of the state that are inundated. One person lost his life in the past 24 hours, while nearly 30,000 people are still living in relief camps.