Sivasagar, Aug 2: Sitting by the roadside with one child in her arms and another clinging to her side, Joymi Chowrai stares into the distance. Around her lie the remnants of a life swept away by the devastating floods that battered Upper Assam.
Her eyes are swollen from days of crying, yet the tears have not stopped. Just days ago, Joymi had a family, a home and hope for the future. Today, she is left with little more than memories.
In the flood-ravaged village of Santak, near the Assam-Nagaland border in Sivasagar district, Joymi’s story has emerged as one of the most heart-rending accounts of this year’s floods.
When the Dikhow River burst its banks and inundated the village, Joymi was with her husband and their two children. Amid the chaos, another woman was seen being swept away by the raging current.
Unable to stand by and watch, Joymi’s husband jumped into the floodwaters in an attempt to rescue her. He never returned.
The powerful current soon overwhelmed him. As their father disappeared before their eyes, the couple’s elder child screamed in desperation, but it was in vain. By then, he was swallowed from sight by the surging waters.
That haunting image has remained etched in Joymi’s mind ever since. “The floods took everything from us,” she says softly, pointing towards a mound of silt and debris where the family’s modest home once stood.
Their house was destroyed and whatever little they owned was washed away. The daily wages earned by her husband had been the family’s only source of income.
Ten days after his death, watching others perform the last rites for their loved ones has only deepened her grief. She never had the chance to bid her husband a proper farewell.
Joymi left grappling with loss alongside her two young children (Photo: AT)
Now left to raise two children alone, Joymi spends her days wondering how she will rebuild her life.
For local resident Malati Karmakar, Joymi’s tragedy stands apart even amid the widespread devastation.
“Our home is destroyed, everything is gone, but at least our family members are alive. We feel deeply saddened when we see Joymi’s condition. The government should build her a house again,” she said.
Across flood-hit Upper Assam, countless families continue to grapple with similar losses. Although water levels have begun to recede, stagnant floodwater still fills many courtyards.
Household belongings salvaged from the deluge lie scattered in the mud, while uncertainty hangs over villages struggling to rebuild shattered lives.
Joymi’s plight has drawn the attention of social workers, local organisations and concerned residents who have stepped forward to help.
Among them was Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, who visited the family and urged the government to adopt a long-term rehabilitation strategy.
“The government must make arrangements for rehabilitation and resettlement. What is needed is a long-term plan. With a substantial financial package, the government should ensure proper rehabilitation and provide support so that affected people can sustain themselves for at least six months,” he said.
All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) general secretary Samiran Phukan also questioned whether adequate assistance was reaching affected families.
“This reflects a lack of proper planning and infrastructure on the part of the government. The government must extend support to these people. Just look at the condition they are living in,” he said.
As Upper Assam slowly transitions from rescue to rehabilitation, Joymi remains by the roadside, holding close the two children who survived and clinging to memories of the husband she watched disappear into the floodwaters.