‘Best Farmer’ struggling after flood fury

We've seen so much rain this year that causing devastating floods in the state. Now, farmers are facing tough decisions that will impact their financial future.

The deluge in Assam has had a cascading effect on the cage fish farming ventures.

Best farmer awardee Bapukan Barman from Nalbari experienced a massive loss in the floods. He had lost a huge amount of fish stock, estimated to be worth Rs 30 lakh.

"The fishing sector has suffered a serious blow this time as the entire village turned into a river and fisheries were washed away. I had invested a large amount in fish farming, and it is next to impossible for me to recover the losses I incurred. Now I have decided to go Kerala for livelihood," Barman said.

"There is nothing left in my pockets as I encountered a huge loss. We are surviving in a dire condition with small amounts of relief materials from government and non-government organisations," he said.

Although the government has taken initiatives for relief distribution and other supportive programmes for the flood victims, the fish farmers have yet to receive any governmental assistance despite their miserable conditions.