Farmers impacted by the recent floods in the state have built up temporary shelters on a 2-kilometer stretch of the four-lane National Highway that connects Guwahati with northern Assam.
Several farming families were forced to set up camp on the road to avoid floodwater and dry the harvest from their lands as their homes and paddy fields were submerged.
"I had six and a half bighas of farmland, but due to the flood, I could only harvest half of it. My house is also flooded, but I'm doing everything I can to rescue what I can. I've already lost 1.30 lakh and have no idea how I'll support my family "Baisistha Das, a 45-year-old farmer from Polaguri in Assam's Morigaon district, told a news agency.
Over 82,000 hectares of cropland have been flooded recently. Over 13,000 hectares of farmland remain flooded in the Morigaon district alone.
"We have 12-13 bighas of rice fields, but we were only able to save grains from 3 of them. We are poor farmers who have taken out large loans to cultivate the land.
How will we return the debts now that our crops have been destroyed? "Sharmila Deka, another farmer, agreed. Farmers are attempting to make the most of the National Highway to dry their harvest, as the floods have badly harmed their earnings.
"Around 80% of the farmland in this region is flooded. The objective now is to save the 20% harvest, therefore farmers are drying their crops on the highway. Authorities have shut down a length of road to provide them with cover and room to dry their grains "Patukan Bordoloi, a Village Defence Party worker, said
According to the Assam government, floods have affected 5,80,145 people in 1,374 villages across 18 districts in the last 24 hours.
One death has been recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths in the state due to floods and landslides to 25.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, Nagaon district has been hit the worst, with over 3.46 lakh people impacted, followed by Cachar with roughly 1.78 lakh people and Morigaon with over 40,900.
