Assam Flood Update: Bihpuria and Gohpur Submerged; Reel Under Crisis

Aanesha Sharma

With the onset of the monsoon, Assam has once again found itself battling devastating floods. Two of the impacted areas, Bihpuria in Lakhimpur district and Gohpur in Biswanath district, present grim pictures of disaster and despair. While both regions suffer from embankment breaches and rising river levels, the impacts and experiences of the residents show distinct yet equally alarming challenges.

Bihpuria

The floodwaters of the Durpang River, swelling from heavy rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, breached embankments and spilt into several villages in Narayanpur, Bihpuria. By early morning, around 30 to 40 homes were submerged, sending shock waves across the region.

The road connecting Maghnowa to Lakhimpur via Tatibahar was submerged to the waist level, cutting off access and sparking panic among commuters and residents alike. Traffic snarls were reported as vehicles tried to navigate through submerged stretches. But beyond the inconvenience of blocked roads, it is the toll on livelihood and health that raises deeper concern.

Houses lie soaked, their interiors destroyed. Newly sown seeds have been washed away, devastating local agriculture. Even the fisheries, a crucial source of income, have been overwhelmed by floodwaters, crippling the livelihoods of fish farmers.

A health worker, stranded due to the flooding, shared the ground reality: “I was supposed to go for a vaccination drive today, but couldn’t. This has been our condition for years. I’ve had to cross these floodwaters for emergency deliveries. The government has done nothing till now. Our homes are submerged, our fish are gone, and we haven't even eaten today.”

Another resident echoed the same desperation: “The embankment broke, and everything flooded. We’ve kept our children on top of the beds. There’s no dry place even for our cows. We’ve lost our crops, our fisheries, everything. We are wondering how we’ll survive this.”

These testimonies reflect the region’s annual flood curse, predictable yet unaddressed.

Gohpur

In Gohpur, the Balijan River has surged beyond its limits, breaking its embankment and flooding the historic Bholaguri Tea Estate. Heavy overnight rainfall led to a swift rise in the river's level, flooding not only the estate but also the Staff Colony.

The flooding has created panic among the estate’s workers and their families. Roads are fully submerged, homes are filled with water, and the daily life of tea workers has become even more precarious.

A resident from the estate described the scene, “The embankment of the Balijan river broke after the heavy rain. Water entered the tea estate and reached the staff colony. Even our homes are flooded now. We hope the government provides support, especially to flood-prone areas like ours that suffer every year.”

The flood in Gohpur also raises concerns about the safety and rights of tea plantation workers. With their workplaces and homes now submerged, and with no formal aid reaching them yet, their call for help grows more urgent.

While Bihpuria faces systemic neglect year after year, and Gohpur locals struggle to recover from this latest blow, both regions reveal a disturbing trend - repeated flood disasters without sustained government intervention. The stories from these regions expose not only the impact of climate-related disasters but also a failure in governance and infrastructure.

As Assam braces for more rain, the questions remain, how many more homes must be submerged, how many livelihoods must be destroyed, and how many voices must go unheard before meaningful action is taken?

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