Assam: Hundreds of families under existential crisis as Brahmaputra engulfs entire village

A 50-year-old Niranjan Mandal and his four-member family are now living near an embankment after the mighty Brahmaputra river swallowed his home and lands.

Niranjan is a resident of 1 no Murkata village under Mayong revenue circle in central Assam’s Morigaon district, but the entire village was swallowed by the Brahmaputra river 7 months ago.

“We are now living in a temporary shed near this under-construction embankment after losing my home, land. The Brahmaputra River swallowed our entire village. After losing everything, many families of our village have been forced to live under temporary sheds. Now the monsoon and flood season is approaching and we are still so worried about it. We don’t know what will happen,” Niranan Mandal told ANI.

He further said that some people have already left this area and moved to other safer places. “There was a school building, water supply scheme, one Durga temple, Naamghar in our village, but the Brahmaputra river swallowed everything. Now the villagers are facing a lot of problems and are fighting to live,” Niranjan Mandal said.

There were nearly 100 families in 1 no Murkata village which is now no existence. Prastuti Mandal said that, we have lost everything and we are facing massive problems.

“We don’t know where we will go because the monsoon season is coming. The main source of income for the people of this area is farming,” Prastuti Mandal said.

Not only Niranjan Mandal, Prastuti Mandal and many other families of the area are facing similar problems.

Jiten Deka, a teacher at Teteliguri LP School told ANI that, the Brahmaputra river has already engulfed many villages in the area and thousands of people have now become homeless.

“Last year one village was completely eroded in front of my eyes. 5-6 villages in this area were washed off by the Brahmaputra River. At least four school buildings, temples were eroded due to river flooding in recent times. As many as 500-600 families have affected and many of them have moved to other places,” Jiten Deka said.