Elderly woman rescued from Assam floods on makeshift raft

In the village of Charing, Assam, a dramatic rescue unfolded as 97-year-old Lokada Duarah was saved from raging floodwaters by her family. Unable to walk, the elderly woman navigated the dark, fast-flowing currents on a simple raft constructed from banana tree trunks.

Her son and daughter-in-law, Bornali Baruah, bravely transported Duarah through waters that had risen to three to four feet deep. They moved slowly, clinging to each other and using sticks for balance, as they made their way towards a relief camp situated on the national highway, some distance from their submerged home.

The harrowing rescue of Duarah is a stark illustration of the widespread flooding devastating Assam. The latest figures indicate that the floods have claimed around 100 lives, impacting 10 districts and 456 villages, with approximately 140,000 residents affected. A total of 52 evacuation centers have been established.

Across the state, the floods have impacted nearly 1.2 million people in 25 districts. Over 19,000 homes have been damaged, and more than 75,000 individuals are seeking shelter in 252 relief camps. The current flooding is particularly severe in Upper Assam, including Charing, a village unaccustomed to such inundation.

For Bornali Baruah, a 40-year-old former journalist who had transitioned to animal husbandry and was recognized as Assam's 'Best Livestock Farmer' in 2016, the scale of the disaster was shocking. Having lived in Charing her entire life, she had never witnessed floods of this magnitude. Her family's single-story, eight-room house, located in an area surrounded by several rivers, was inundated, with water levels rising to about five feet inside.