Assam Flood Victims Demand Flood Walls and Curbs on Quarrying

Guwahati: Villagers in Nepalikhuti are demanding a guard wall along the Dikhow River and a total stop to stone quarrying. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the Sivasagar district village on Monday, August 3. He walked through Ward No. 7 of the Bihubor Panchayat. The devastation is total. Floodwaters left homes buried in silt and livestock dead.

Residents reported that 283 households faced the brunt of the water. Years of mining near the river changed the waterway and worsened the destruction. "Our village can still be saved if a guard wall is built and quarrying is stopped," one resident told the Chief Minister. Binod Sharma, a local livestock farmer, lost 29 of his 30 cows. He specialized in high-value breeds like Sahiwal, Jersey, and Gir.

The government is now moving to offer relief. Families in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, and Golaghat districts will get financial help under State Disaster Response Fund norms. The state will pay Rs 37,500 for each large milch animal lost, up to three cows. Small livestock owners get Rs 4,000 per goat or pig for up to 30 animals, and poultry farmers receive Rs 100 per bird for up to 100 birds. Sarma ordered officials to document all livestock deaths to fast-track these payments.

Tragedy hit other families hard. Sumi Karmakar told the Chief Minister how floodwaters swept away her husband, Krishna Karmakar. Nearby, local stone traders reported that their equipment is ruined. Silt buried excavators, dumpers, and heavy machinery, stalling the entire local construction supply chain. Sarma promised to help with compensation and insurance claims.

Meanwhile, hazard risks remain high across the state. In the Badulipar area of Golaghat district, Himadri Bhattacharya died after falling into a deep pit near a brick kiln. Locals claim this pit was the result of illegal soil extraction. These abandoned pits dot the local fields without any fencing or warning signs. Residents stated that previous accidents happened here, yet authorities have done little to stop the dangerous excavations. They are now calling for the district administration to fill the pits and prosecute those behind the illegal soil mining.