Severe flooding has submerged large parts of Assam’s Sivasagar town after a breach in the Desang river embankment. Residents report extensive damage to homes and shops, a critical shortage of food and water, and power disruption.
Severe flooding has submerged large parts of Assam’s Sivasagar town, with residents reporting extensive damage to homes and shops, shortage of food and drinking water, and disruption of electricity following a rise in river levels.
‘Entire town is critical’: Businesses Ruined
Speaking to ANI, Pritam Borua, a local businessman, said that nearly the entire town has been affected by the floodwaters, with water entering shops and causing massive losses. “The floodwaters have completely submerged Sivasagar. Not a single ward is left dry; only two wards are somewhat safe, but water has entered all others. If we talk about the shops, they are all ruined. Not a single shop in the town or any ward has been spared. Everyone has suffered massive losses. In most shops, water is 2 to 3 feet deep, and in some, it has reached up to 5 feet. The situation for the entire town is critical,” Borua said.
Residents’ Plight: Shortages and Displacement
Resident Deepak Kumar said people have been struggling with food shortages, particularly for children, as the water level continues to rise. “We have been facing extreme difficulties since yesterday. There’s a major problem with food, especially for small children. The water hasn’t receded at all; instead, it is continuously rising. The water is flowing like a river through the streets. People’s houses have been washed away or submerged, and everyone has moved to higher ground. All our belongings are ruined,” he said.
Sushil Agarwal, a ration shop owner, said his shop was completely flooded, destroying the food supplies stored there. “My ration shop is completely flooded. There’s about 4 to 5 feet of water inside. All the ration supplies are submerged and destroyed. We are facing trouble even moving to and from our homes. The electricity has been cut off, and there is a severe shortage of drinking water. It’s not just me; over a hundred shopkeepers in the Station Chariali area alone are severely affected,” Agarwal said.
‘Unprecedented’ Flooding After Embankment Breach
Shop owner Taj Hussain said the flooding had damaged his mobile repair business and described the situation as unprecedented. “We spent so much time trying to move the goods to higher shelves, but we still lost a lot. I have a mobile repair shop, and many phones brought in by customers for repair have been damaged by the water. I’ve lived in Sivasagar for 25 to 30 years, and I’ve never seen a flood like this. Usually, river water comes, but this is unprecedented. The Desang river embankment breach has caused this disaster,” he said.
Another local resident, Vinod Thakur, said Ward No. 11 was among the worst affected areas, with floodwaters entering houses and forcing residents to move to safer locations. “Ward No. 11 is the worst affected. The water started rising yesterday and is still increasing today. It has entered every house, reaching waist-deep or even chest-deep levels in many places. People have taken shelter in the Milan Mandir and Shyam Mandir. I have been living here for 40 years, and even the elders who are 65 or 70 years old say they have never seen the water flowing like a river through the streets of Sivasagar before,” Thakur said. (ANI)
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