Guwahati, March 20: In the wake of the 2024 Assam floods, thousands of families faced displacement, waterborne diseases, and loss of livelihoods. Among the worst affected were remote hamlets and marginalized communities who struggled to access safe drinking water, sanitation, and basic necessities. Recognizing the urgent need for intervention, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Government of Assam and European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), launched a flood relief program, providing emergency support to vulnerable families across six of the worst-hit districts of Barapeta, Cachar, Dhemaji, Karimganj, Dibrugarh and Morigaon covering 1,000 households in 100 villages.

Through initiatives such as mobile water treatment units, WASH training, disaster-resilient toilets, and hygiene kits, these efforts have not only helped people recover from the immediate aftermath but are also building long-term resilience against future floods. The stories from Tukergram and West Kumarpada—one about a village stranded for months with no clean water and another about a family fighting to survive in a flood-ravaged home—offer a glimpse into the realities of life after the disaster and the ongoing efforts to restore dignity and hope in affected communities.

Story 1: Tukergram: Hamlet stranded by floods finds lifeline in mobile water unit in Assam

Tukergram, a small hamlet situated on a hillock in Gram Panchayat (GP) Tarinipur, Katigora block in the Cachar district of Assam, has only 32 households and a population of 152. The word, Tuker, means island in the local dialect. Situated next to a picturesque lake that was once part of a meandering Barak River, every year this hillock turns into an island for four to five months during the floods. Sometimes even seven months or more until the water level of Barak River finally recedes. During this period, livestock and families situated at the low lying area, migrate to the top most part of the hamlet and live for months in congested and unhygienic conditions.

Cachar district in south Assam is a low-lying region of the Barak Valley where many rivers originating from the neighbouring states of Manipur and Mizoram flow into the Barak River. During monsoon, if these states get heavy rainfall even when it is dry in Cachar, many parts of the district get flooded. According to local observations, rainfall and as a result the floods, are getting erratic and intense, resulting in longer duration of monsoons and floods.

The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and Public Health and Engineering The Department (PHED) identified Tukergram as one of the worst flood-affected as the hamlet lacks a government-provided water pipeline connection. The sanctioned pipeline through Kalinagar GP has to pass through a drain, which has made it difficult to execute.
The hamlet does not have any road connectivity, electricity or constructed toilets. The families living here source their daily requirement of water from the lake that overflows during the floods and gets contaminated. During these months, people collect rainwater through mounted pipes on the roofs and use phitkiri or alum to decontaminate the water for drinking. Alum, if consumed more than required, also leads to health issues.

“If you give me clean water, I can use that. Else I will have to manage with water from the nala (small drainage canal),” said Abdul Jabbar, 58 years, a resident of Tukergram.

Being corralled in one place, people are unable to eke out any livelihood. Only those hired for fishing, which is leased out to a few contractors by the government, have some source of income. As agriculture can be done for only one season, many people, especially young men, migrate to other states in search of any work, sometimes as far as the Konkan coast.

UNICEF, in collaboration with Deshbandhu Club (an NGO), DDMA, PHED, and the Community Facilitation and Resource Centre (CFRC), which is a nodal government body under DDMA and Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD) department, worked with the community to test the lake water for contamination. They also provided an emergency mobile water treatment unit that purified the lake water, making it clean and safe for drinking. The water treatment unit follows a simple process of pumping water, filtration, followed by disinfection using chlorine, and is easy to install and operate. Five men and five women have been trained to operate and maintain the unit. The operation of the unit is so easy, that even children have now learnt how to use it.

“The difference in water, before and after the unit, is as clear as the difference in silver and gold. The water is as clean as the rainwater from above. We have never got clean water to drink, so for us getting the unit is like getting the universe,” expressed Abdul Jabbar, 58 years, resident and member of sub-water committee of Tukergram

A sub-water committee along the lines of water user committee in villages under Jal Jeevan Mission was formed with 14 members, of which six members are women. The members were trained on how to operate and maintain the unit. The committee now looks after the daily functioning of the unit, timely scheduling for providing water to the hamlet, arranging for fuel, cleaning and maintenance of the unit. Every household is charged INR 20/- per week ($0.23 USD) ($0.92 USD per month) for daily collection of water from the unit. In future, the committee will be linked with the bank for efficient fund management.

“There used to be worms in the water before that caused stomach ailments, skin infection, and other health issues, especially in children. Now, with clean drinking water, these health problems have reduced.” said Sajida Begum Talukdar, 28 years, member trained on operating and maintaining the unit.

In the absence of any water pipelines, the mobile water treatment unit has provided this little hamlet with safe and clean drinking water for the first time. The committee now wants to install a sintex water tank with the collected funds, so that water can be stored, and members are not bound by the schedule of operating the unit multiple times every day. The District Administration is also exploring ways to bring this hamlet under the coverage of Piped Water Supply Scheme and provide household tap connections in near future. Meanwhile, the mobile water treatment unit will remain as a handy tool for the community in providing access to potable drinking water during future floods.

Notably, in response to the severe floods in Assam in 2024, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Government of Assam and European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), provided essential WASH services to vulnerable families across six worst-affected districts, of Barapeta, Cachar, Dhemaji, Karimganj, Dibrugarh and Morigaon covering 1,000 households in 100 villages ensuring access to safe drinking water and hygiene facilities.

“Through the Assam Flood Relief Program, hygiene kits, chlorine tablets and water dispensers, raised or disaster resilient community toilets, WASH training in schools, and communities, and emergency mobile water treatment and filtration units were provided. Thanks to this support, people could have access to safe and clean drinking water, essential hygiene and sanitation facilities during and after the floods.” said Madhulika Jonathan, Chief of UNICEF Assam.

Story 2: The last house standing: A story of loss and resilience 

“We do not have any option but to stay in this house as long as it is possible. Moving house to another place or land requires money, and we do not have that” ~ Aarti Rani Das

Aarti Rani Das’ house is in a dilapidated condition and barely standing on the embankment of the Barak River at West Kumarpada. The walls are cracked and supported by planks of wood so that they do not fall down. The house has sunk further down in the ground which is now filled with silt brought in by the river. It is likely that the house may not be able to withstand the next wave of flood and will either disintegrate or get washed away.

West Kumarpada, in Nizjoynagar block in Cachar district is situated right next to the Barak River. Riverbank erosion is the biggest challenge in this area as forests are degrading and there is not much to hold the soil during heavy rains. In some places, the river has moved 20kms in. This year, the river swept away all the remaining houses that were located on West Kumarpada’s embankment. Aarti’s house is the only one left standing and she is grateful for that.

Aarti, 40 years, belongs to the Scheduled Caste community and her husband is a daily wage earner. Her eldest son is not old enough to start earning. Her two daughters are studying at the village’s middle school. There is barely enough in the house for everyone as money comes in when there is work. Every year the river floods, sometimes gradually, sometimes silently and quickly. But every year, the river takes away their possessions and they have to start all over again after the water recedes.

“When flash floods happen, we cannot save anything except ourselves. This year, we received many useful items such as washing powder, toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, nail cutter, sanitary pads and panties from Deshbandhu Club as part of the flood relief. These items have helped us immensely because we got many items that will last us the next few months. The money saved can be utilized for children’s education, food and medicine.

“The sanitary pads are also very useful, especially for my daughters, as maintaining menstrual hygiene during these times is difficult,” says Aarti Das.

UNICEF, in partnership with Deshbandhu Club, DDMA, PHED, and the Community Facilitation and Resource Centre (CFRC)—a nodal government agency under DDMA and the Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD) department responsible for disseminating information on all government schemes available in Cachar district—distributed essential items to selected households. These included chlorine tablets, water dispensers, and hygiene kits containing washing powder, soaps (both bathing and laundry), toothpaste, five toothbrushes, combs, nail cutters, five packets of sanitary pads, and panties.

A village-level committee was established through a democratic process to identify households based on specific criteria, including those most severely affected, belonging to minority communities, or comprising elderly individuals, widows, single women, women-led families, and/or persons with disabilities. Deshbandhu Club conducted surveys of these households to finalize the list. Additionally, the village community received training on the proper use of chlorine tablets for water decontamination, as well as sanitation and hygiene practices, such as when to use soap and the correct method of handwashing with soap to enhance health protection.

“Drinking water provided through the government water pipeline gets disrupted during the floods. We are unable to access the taps, and we have to source water from the river for drinking and other purposes. During the floods, the river water is contaminated and even using alum is not sufficient. There are a lot of water related health issues during this time, like diarrhoea, cholera and skin infection. With the use of chlorine tablets, we can access clean drinking water and learning when and how to wash hands has reduced these health issues,” says Aarti Das.

UNICEF, in discussion with the community and in collaboration with partner organization, supported in constructing and rebuilding 30 toilets in Cachar that included toilets with raised plinths and other structural measures that could withstand future floods, storms and earthquakes. As they are built a few feet above the ground level, they can be easily accessed during the floods. Every five to six households or 20 people can access or use one toilet. One member from each family is a member of the toilet user committee which is responsible for maintaining and keeping the toilets clean. The design of the toilet is also influencing the construction of toilets in neighbouring communities as it provides a good example for them to adopt in flood prone areas.

“We have open pit latrines which get flooded every year during the monsoon. For women, it is an arduous task to travel by boats far away to relieve themselves,” says Aarti Das, who has to move to the road under tarpaulins every year, will now be able access these community Disaster Resilient toilets. Along with her, these toilets have provided women with a sense of hope and safety knowing that they will not have to face difficulty when the floods return next year.

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