Assam Flood Victims Face Dire Challenges Amid Loan Moratorium

Desperate Times for Flood-Affected Families

Jorhat, July 31: In Panigaon village of Mariani, the Assam government's recent announcement of a six-month loan repayment moratorium arrives as families grapple with the aftermath of devastating floods that have stripped them of homes, savings, livestock, and essential household items.

This village, situated in the Chelenghat region of Mariani, has been severely impacted by the recent flooding. Approximately 60 to 70 families have returned from relief camps only to discover their homes either damaged or completely destroyed, with livestock perished and personal belongings lost.

Among the casualties of the floodwaters were schoolbooks, furniture, and vital documents belonging to children, leaving families uncertain about how to rebuild their lives.

One resident, who had borrowed money to raise ducks and poultry, expressed despair, saying, "I don't know how I survived. We have nothing to eat. How will we manage?"

As they returned from relief camps, many flood victims were overcome with emotion while sharing their experiences.

"None of our livestock survived. We managed to save our lives, but everything else is gone. Our children have lost all their educational materials," lamented another villager, who is now seeking government support for their school-aged children.

Another local shared that their family could not salvage even a small amount of rice from their granary.

"Everything is gone. Our children lack books and clothes, and we have nothing left to eat. The flood has taken everything from us," the villager stated.

The economic repercussions of this disaster have been particularly harsh in the village, where most residents rely on daily wage labor and small-scale agriculture for their income. Many families had taken loans to raise poultry, while others had financed vehicles for commercial transport.

"We don’t even have basic cooking utensils left. The floods have obliterated everything. Many of us had borrowed money for poultry, while others had purchased vehicles on credit for hire services. All of that is gone," another resident added.

Flood-affected villagers have called on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to provide additional financial support to the impacted families and offer further relief to those struggling with loan repayments, despite the government's moratorium.

"We urge the Chief Minister to consider providing one or two relief installments for Self-Help Group members burdened with bank loans. Repaying these loans is impossible for us right now," a resident pleaded.

This appeal follows the Assam government's announcement of a six-month moratorium on loan repayments for flood-affected borrowers in the four most severely impacted districts: Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, and Golaghat.

For many in Mariani, the pressing challenge is no longer just escaping the floodwaters but also rebuilding their homes, restoring their livelihoods, and ensuring their children can return to school after experiencing one of the worst floods in recent memory.

Meanwhile, the flood-related death toll in Assam continues to rise, even as the overall situation shows signs of improvement. According to the latest bulletin from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), two additional fatalities were reported in flood-related incidents over the past 24 hours.

With these recent deaths, the total toll from this year's floods has reached 80.