The dawn of July 19 in Upper Assam’s Santok and Bihubar areas brought a deceptive calm, a prelude to a day of unprecedented struggle and survival as the Dikhow river unleashed its fury. Within hours, tranquil villages along its banks were engulfed by rapidly rising floodwaters, forcing hundreds of residents to scramble onto rooftops, trees, electric poles, and even transformers, where many endured 10 to 15 harrowing hours without food or water, desperately awaiting rescue.
Local residents, accustomed to the seasonal monsoons, reported that the river, flowing down from the Naga hills, displayed a ferocity they had never witnessed. Amanullah Ahmed (45) from Nepali Khuti village, approximately 37 km from Sivasagar town, recounted the terrifying speed of the inundation. "It was around noon. We usually gauge the rising water by counting the steps along the bank that remain visible. This time, the water rose so incredibly fast that it swallowed the entire village in no time," Ahmed explained, highlighting the futility of their usual flood preparedness measures.
Ahmed immediately rushed home to evacuate his wife and three children to the relative safety of the main road, situated on higher ground. However, his attempt to return for his two goats was thwarted by the surging currents, which had by then become overwhelmingly powerful. His personal ordeal mirrored the wider crisis as communities found themselves cut off, with many clinging to precarious perches, their lives hanging in the balance, as the floodwaters continued to rage through the Upper Assam landscape.
The incident underscores the increasing unpredictability of monsoon patterns and the critical need for enhanced disaster preparedness in vulnerable regions like Assam, where communities frequently battle nature's wrath.
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