Assam floods: Locals rescue over 1,000 people after floodwaters submerge Sivasagar villages

Sivasagar: More than 1,000 people stranded in deep water were rescued by a group of locals from nearly four to five nearby villages after floodwaters rapidly submerged the Nepali Khuti area in Assam's Sivasagar district

The local rescuers left behind their homes and belongings to save people from the rising water in multiple villages.

Sohan Chaudhary, a local who rescued others, said the water level rose so quickly that they had no time to think about their own homes before rushing to help stranded residents.


"We were at home. The water rose with such speed that we left our own home to go and rescue others. Our own people were standing in deep water. We took boats out to save others. We hadn't even realised how much water had entered our own homes. We saved more than 1,000 people from around 4-5 villages," he told ANI.

Another villager involved in the rescue operation, Kanhaiya Chaudhary, said they initially went out to collect floating wood but immediately shifted their focus after witnessing the sudden rise in the water level.

"When we had gone out to collect floating wood, we noticed the water level had surged significantly. We realised the water was likely about to enter our homes. We told everyone to go back home because the water had risen too much; collecting wood wasn't the priority anymore--saving our families was," he said.

"We first got our family members and children to safety. After that, we intended to retrieve our household belongings, but there wasn't time. People nearby were calling us; when we reached the riverbank, they would call to say, 'My child is over there, please go and rescue them.' So, we abandoned our own belongings and focused on saving those people instead," he added.

Floods continue to impact several parts of Assam, with five districts currently affected by the deluge, according to the latest official figures.

The flood-affected districts are Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Dhemaji. A total of 21 revenue circles and 335 villages have been affected by the floods.

The floods have impacted 1,36,203 people, while 15,422 hectares of crop area have been affected, causing significant damage to agricultural land.

The human toll has also risen, with three deaths reported from Sivasagar district. In addition, two persons remain missing, both from Sivasagar. Officials said no urban flood districts have been reported in the current flood situation.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation as relief and response measures remain underway in the affected areas. Meanwhile, Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika visited the flood-affected Demow and Nazira Legislative Assembly Constituencies (LACs) of Sivasagar district to review the relief and rehabilitation measures being undertaken by the district administration.