Nearly 4 lakh people affected, 30 dead and seven missing as Assam’s former Ahom capital struggles to rebuild after devastating deluge.

Sivasagar, July 27: The floodwaters may be receding, but for thousands of families in Assam’s historic town of Sivasagar, the devastation is only beginning to sink in.
“We had no time to save anything. We just ran for our lives,” said 22-year-old Mohini Mullick, standing beside the ruins of her home in Santak village, one of the worst-hit areas in the district.

Her family now lives by the roadside after their house was destroyed in what officials describe as the worst floods to hit Sivasagar in at least 50 years.

“I’ve lost everything. Food, drinking water, clothes and medicines are our biggest concerns now. NGOs and people from other districts are helping us, but we haven’t received enough support from the administration,” she said.

Another resident, struggling to come to terms with the loss, said rebuilding their lives would take years.

“It will take us at least 15 years to return to normal. The flood didn’t even give us five minutes to save our belongings. We have lost everything and don’t know where to begin,” the resident said.

The scale of destruction in Sivasagar, the former capital of the Ahom Kingdom, has left even long-time residents stunned. Once the seat of the six-century-old Ahom dynasty, the district has never witnessed such widespread devastation in living memory.
Deputy Commissioner Mridul Yadav said the recent floods were the worst the district has experienced in five decades.

According to the administration, floodwaters inundated 301 revenue villages across three revenue circles, affecting nearly four lakh people, with the Nazira and Sivasagar constituencies bearing the brunt of the disaster.

The district has recorded 30 deaths, while seven people remain missing.

Yadav said rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), assisted by 60 rescue boats and 62 country boats, evacuated around 20,000 people to safety during the crisis.

As floodwaters recede, heavy machinery has been deployed to clear debris and reopen roads, while the administration shifts its focus from rescue to rehabilitation.

More than 50 relief camps and distribution centres have been set up, and the second phase of relief distribution is underway. The administration also plans to distribute the Chief Minister’s Special Family Kit to affected households.

To reach marooned villages, nearly 10,000 kg of food was air-dropped by helicopters, benefiting around 2,000 families cut off by floodwaters.

Health authorities have also stepped up efforts to prevent outbreaks of water-borne diseases. Thirty-eight medical teams are currently providing treatment and preventive care at over 200 relief camps across the district.

Also Read: Truck driver from Assam killed, two injured in late-night crash near Tura

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