For small-scale farmer Tankesar Das (name changed) of Bhotiapar in Sivasagar district, midnight on July 19, 2026, marked the beginning of a struggle that continues weeks after the devastating floods hit Assam.
Tankesar, who lives with his wife and three children, realised around midnight that floodwaters were rapidly approaching his home. As water began entering nearby areas, frightened neighbours alerted one another. Within minutes, the water level rose sharply, leaving the family with little time to collect their belongings or prepare for evacuation.
Tankesar, his wife and their three children rushed towards the main road, which was on higher ground, carrying only what they could manage in those frightening moments. Within two hours, the floodwater around their home had risen to chest level and was flowing with a strong current.
The family has still been unable to return home. Continued rainfall slowed the recession of the floodwaters and prolonged their displacement. As of August 6, Tankesar and his family were living in a temporary roadside shelter, waiting for the water level to fall enough for them to return safely.
Their house remained surrounded by floodwater, while clothes, bedding, food supplies, kitchen utensils, important documents and their children’s schoolbooks were still inside. The family remains uncertain about the condition of their belongings and what they will find when they finally return home.
But the flood has taken away more than their possessions. It has also severely affected their livelihood.
Tankesar depended on fish farming in the pond beside his home and livestock rearing to support his family. Both sources of income were badly affected by the flood. Every additional day away from home means another day without work and income.
His wife has been struggling to meet the family’s basic needs under extremely difficult circumstances. Access to safe drinking water, sanitation, nutritious food and healthcare remains a constant concern.
For their three children, the flood has disrupted their normal lives. Their classrooms, friends and daily school routine have been replaced by days spent near a temporary shelter, waiting for the floodwaters to recede from their home and nearby school.
“We are waiting to go home, rebuild what we have lost, and start our lives again,” Tankesar said.
For Tankesar and thousands of other families affected by the floods in Sivasagar, Jorhat and Charaideo districts, the disaster is not yet a memory of the past. It remains their present reality. They are waiting to return home, restore their livelihoods and rebuild their lives amid uncertainty over what awaits them.
The Northeast Centre for Equity Action on Integrated Development, a non-governmental organisation working in flood-affected areas, has provided relief materials to families across more than seven villages in Sivasagar and Charaideo. The assistance included dry ration kits, mattresses, water, sanitation and hygiene kits, as well as learning and stationery materials for children.
The support was aimed at meeting immediate needs while also helping families move towards recovery and rebuild their lives.
During conversations with affected residents, the organisation’s team was struck not only by the stories of loss and hardship but also by the warmth, courage and resilience of the people.
Despite everything they had endured, some residents invited the team to return during winter and share a meal with them, expressing hope that their lives would have returned to normal by then.
For the team, those simple moments revealed something beyond the destruction caused by the floods. They witnessed kindness, courage and hope in the eyes of people who had lost so much but remained determined to rebuild their lives.