A 97-year-old woman, Lokada Duarah, was rescued from her submerged home in Assam, India, using a makeshift banana raft. The incident occurred as monsoon rains caused several rivers, including the Brahmaputra, to swell rapidly, breaching embankments and inundating towns and villages.
Lokada Duarah, who had previously left a career in journalism to become a successful livestock farmer, lost a significant portion of her farm to the floods. Her farm consisted of approximately 300 goats, 500 ducks, and 1,000 chickens, along with a fish pond. The floodwaters destroyed most of her livestock, including many goats, 300 ducks, and 300 chickens. She also lost the machinery used to make animal feed, along with furniture, laptops, vehicles, and a collection of books. The livestock was not insured, as there is no established insurance system for such animals in the region.
The flooding began around July 17 when the Jhanji river started to rise. By July 19, the Dikhow and Mitong rivers had spilled into surrounding areas, following the rapid swelling of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. Powerful currents swept through towns and villages as several rivers breached their banks.
Duarah and her family evacuated their home when the water level reached four feet inside. They subsequently spent 10 days in a relief camp. The widespread flooding has displaced thousands, with many residents seeking shelter in temporary camps.
This event underscores the increasing vulnerability of areas previously considered safe from such severe flooding. The destruction has impacted livelihoods built over years, as seen in Duarah's case, highlighting the devastating consequences of extreme weather events.
Another resident, Amit Giri, 20, spoke of the loss of his father, Siv Sankar Giri, who died in the floods. His home was also damaged.
