Floods Devastate Lives of Young Workers in Assam
Impact of July Floods on Young Migrants
For several young people from flood-hit villages of Sivasagar and Charaideo, the disaster destroyed homes and disrupted their fragile sources of livelihood
Sivasagar, Nov 4: The July floods have unexpectedly interrupted the journeys of many young men who had left their villages in search of better job opportunities in other states. Upon returning home, they found their houses destroyed and farmlands buried under mud and debris, leaving them to navigate the challenges of rebuilding their lives amidst uncertainty and unemployment.
Nagen Bhumij, a 32-year-old, had intended to visit his village during the Puja holidays. However, the catastrophic floods in Upper Assam prompted him to return earlier. His home in Majgaon, Sivasagar district, where his wife and two children resided, was completely washed away.
More than two months post-return, Nagen continues to struggle to reconstruct his life.
“We lost everything. Our house is now just rubble. All we have left are the clothes we wore. An NGO has provided us with a temporary shelter made of tin and bamboo. I now need to extend it and somehow rebuild our home,” he shared.
Nagen and his cousin Sibu had relocated to Hyderabad two years ago in search of employment. Both worked as daily-wage construction laborers, hoping to earn enough to support their families back home. However, their modest earnings and rising costs made saving money a challenge.
“Initially, we earned around Rs 400 for an eight-hour shift, which was insufficient. To make ends meet, we worked overtime for nearly 12 hours to earn Rs 600. We were provided with basic tin accommodation, but all other expenses were our responsibility. I couldn’t send much money home, as my savings went towards the EMI for a scooter I bought and my children’s expenses,” he explained.
The floods have left him torn between the need to earn and the obligation to rebuild his family’s life.
“Our situation is dire, and we are unsure how to manage. I cannot return to Hyderabad now because I must care for my family. I have a six-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter. Our farmland is still covered in silt and debris, making it unfit for cultivation. We will have to wait until February-March before we can even think about farming again,” Nagen said, currently relying on relief supplies from the government and NGOs.
Even managing the relief supplies has proven challenging. With no proper storage in their temporary shelter, many supplies were damaged.
“We collected the materials during the rains, but there was no safe place to store them, leading to damage,” he added.
Nagen is not alone in this struggle. Many young individuals from the flood-affected villages of Sivasagar and neighboring Charaideo have seen their homes destroyed and their fragile livelihoods disrupted, forcing them to rethink their migration for work.
Aftab Hussain, a 21-year-old from a nearby village, had moved to Hosur in Tamil Nadu with four other youths and his aunt. They had secured jobs at a motorcycle parts manufacturing unit, hoping to create a more secure future through employment outside Assam.
The group had relocated to Tamil Nadu just two months before the floods struck. They were earning around Rs 20,000 a month when they received news of the devastation back home, prompting their return.
“Our house sustained damage, and we lost most of our belongings. We are uncertain about returning, as it will take time for things to normalize. We need to support our family during this crisis. My father was a vegetable vendor and the sole breadwinner. Cultivation is not feasible now either. I will have to seek employment here,” Aftab, who has completed Class XII, stated.
Returning home has meant sacrificing a relatively stable income at a time when his family needs financial support the most. With agriculture temporarily off the table and local job opportunities uncertain, finding work closer to home has become his immediate focus.
Sivasagar and Charaideo were among the districts hardest hit by the July floods. Approximately 3,000 houses were destroyed, and over 11,000 were partially damaged, leaving hundreds of families grappling with the loss of homes, assets, and livelihoods.
For young migrant workers like Nagen and Aftab, the aftermath of the floods has led to a challenging reversal of fortunes. They had left their villages seeking work and a better future, but now, amidst the ruins, they face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives while searching for jobs in a struggling economy.