Erosion Devastates Assam Villages: Hundreds Left Homeless as Brahmaputra River Swallows Land

In Assam's Goalpara district, 65-year-old Sahadut Ali Sheikh and his family are now living in a small makeshift tent near their original home after losing their property to the relentless erosion by the Brahmaputra River. The Sheikh family, originally from Muamari village, has seen their house and cropland swallowed by the river, forcing them into temporary shelters.

"The Brahmaputra River swallowed everything - my house, land, and croplands. Now, my family is living under this makeshift tent. The government doesn't allow us to construct houses on embankments. We have nowhere to go and are currently residing near the river. My sons work as daily wage laborers, and we face a bleak future," Sheikh told ANI.

Khursida Khatun, Sheikh’s daughter-in-law, recounted the hardships faced by her family, stating that relief provided by the government during recent floods was insufficient. With her husband unable to seek work due to the flooding, Khatun highlighted the difficulties of sustaining their family on minimal resources.

Other villagers, like Sahruf Hussain and Bikram Ravi Das, reported similar crises, with many families losing homes and relocating. "The local MLA hasn't visited or helped us. Nearly 200 houses have been lost to erosion, and people are suffering intensely," said Das.

Soil erosion continues to ravage districts like Goalpara, Barpeta, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Kamrup, and Morigaon. The Assam government reports that over 4.27 lakh hectares of land have been eroded by the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. The flood situation remains severe, with over 90 deaths and more than 5 lakh people affected across 18 districts, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.

(With inputs from agencies.)