Taken at the flood…
Documented & Photographed by Imran Ahmed
Text by Swarnab Ghosh
“There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.”
- From Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.
This is an extract of a speech by Brutus who asserts that sometimes it is necessary to seize the tide brought on by the flood to gain a fortune. For years, the people living in the flood plains of Assam have bore the brunt of the annual floods. Now they are seizing the moment to build their resilience.
The state of Assam is a flood prone area. Every year during monsoon, the Brahmaputra, its tributaries and branches submerge acres of farmland, resulting in displacement of lakhs of people. The widespread growth of infrastructure projects and man-made construction along the Brahmaputra has arrested the natural current of the river and spurred malpractices like throwing of debris and other solid waste into the river. As a result, the river is losing its natural depth and inundating the plains with sand and debris, rendering them unfit for farming. The numerous sandbanks across the Brahmaputra testify the decreasing powers of this mighty river. The annual floods that were once instrumental in depositing silt in the plains are now destroyers of farmland.
The floods erode the topsoil and deposit sand on the fertile lands robbing the inhabitants of their only source of livelihood – farming. The shelters of the villagers are washed out and most of their assets damaged during the flood. The floods also cut off their access to safe drinking water and lead to poor hygienic practices. The worst affected are the physically challenged and women sustaining a family.
However the survival instincts of these people are hard to beat. The residents are gradually building their resistance to nature’s whims. The first step towards this is securing their shelters. Drawing from their traditional wisdom and using the modern techniques of architecture, they are transforming their houses into more flood resilient shelters with certain critical components like strong foundation, high raised plinth, RCC pillar, etc. that make their houses stand high above the maximum water levels. However there are cultural repercussions of this solution. Some tribes do not prefer the elevated houses known as chang ghars. Convincing them to adopt this solution is a difficult task.
In spite of all these challenges, people like Maity Narzary and Dipak Hazong are gradually finding their footholds in the torrents of developmental growth. In their endeavour, they are assisted by organizations like SEEDS that work for the rehabilitation of victims of natural calamities across the nation. Projects like these are supported by the international fraternity like the European Commission and consortium partners like Christian Aid, Action Aid and Oxfam. These initiatives are leading to a renewal of faith among the displaced population. As the mighty Brahmaputra gears up for yet another deluge, the people of the flood affected districts are preparing themselves to win over nature. They are determined not to let the river wash away their hopes.
Case study 1 – Maity Narzary, Pakuriguri, Block – Jonai, Distt: Dhimaji
A house above the rest
Maity Narzary of Pakuriguri village under Dhemaji district is one of the many survivors of the devastating floods of 2012. This year, while most of her fellow villagers fled the area during the flood, Maity held guard with her 16 year old son. As the water levels rose, so did her spirits. Her source of courage was the new house built by SEEDS. The specially designed structure ensured that the house remained high above the water.
Being a widow and a daily wage earner, life is difficult for women like Maity. The vegetables picked up from the jungles and the few chickens and pigs farmed are just enough to keep her family alive. After she was selected for the ‘cash-for-work’ scheme of SEEDS, Maity got a new house that was high enough to withstand the rising water level.
“Last year my house was completely submerged and washed away, but this year the house being high, I could somehow survive,” acknowledges Maity with a smile.
As more and more villagers wake up to the reality of annual floods, special houses built by NGOs like SEEDS are giving them a new gleam of hope.
Case study 2 – Dipak Hazong Ladamguri, Block – Sissirborgaon, Distt. Dhemaji
Trained to face the flood
Dipak Hazong was a mason by profession, but he lacked the technical know-how required to build a flood-proof house. Every year his house would get destroyed by the ravishing Lali river. This year, however, Dipak turned the tables on nature.
He received special training from SEEDS to build his house. The NGO taught him the technicalities of modern architecture blending traditional wisdom in the lessons. Armed with the new-found knowledge, Dipak built his new house which protected him from the floods. The bracing system ensured that the house was built on pillars that provided a strong base and kept the house high above the water levels. “I have built my own house and it is one of the best in the area,” proudly claims the father of three.
Case study 3 – Gokul Sarargary, age 27 Pakuriguri, Block – Jonai, Distt: Dhimaji
A new found career
The annual floods of Northern Assam is doom for most of the people, but it also means a new beginning for some. People like Gokul Sarargary are fortunate enough to make a career out of the calamity.
Gokul used to earn his living by working as a mason. He participated in a mason training programme organized by SEEDS. He put his skills to practice and built a house for one of the victims of the flood. That became the turning point in his career. The house stood firm during the flood and high enough to let the family live inside safely, making Gokul famous in his village. This young Bodo tribe member is now an accomplished mason, and is engaged in big projects, one of them being a school building costing Rs. 11 lakhs.
Case study 4 – Rasendra Hazong, Ajarbari,
Building shelter for the old and needy
60 year old Rasendra Hazong is one of the senior citizens of Assam who witness their houses being washed away by the floods every year and their hard earned money going down the drains. Having lost his eyesight 10-12 years ago to a critical eye infection, Rasendra became an invalid. He was completely dependent on his wife Shefali Hazong and his 6 children.
The old man was so poor that he could not build his shelter after the devastating floods in 2012. “Shall I buy food or buy bamboo to build my house with this little money?” asked the old man when questioned about how he would face the crisis situation. Fortunately, the shelter support provided to him by SEEDS in 2012 was of immense help in such conditions.
Case study 5 – Rajen Hazong, Nepali Patthar, Block – Sissiborgon
Safe shelter for the disabled
Rajen Hazong has been paralysed for the last 4 years. He is bedridden and is only looked after by his nephew Niranjan Hazong. During the floods of 2012, he went to seek refuge on the elevated platforms built by SEEDS in those villages. In 2013, he got a house from SEEDS which was a major relief for him, and his family.
“Earlier, we used to drag him to a safe shelter during the floods, but this time the old man was here only, because the water level did not reach above the floor,” Niranjan breathes a sigh of relief.
Case study 6 – Gyaneshwari Hazong, 65 yr old, Nepali patthar
Water water everywhere…
Access to safe drinking water is a major concern during the floods. Most of the families don’t have access to drinking water and run the risk of being contaminated. Gyaneshwari Hazong averted this crisis during this year’s flood. She is one of the woman beneficiaries of the shelter support scheme of SEEDS and received a house as part of the scheme. During the floods, her house was protected from the water and she could also store drinking water in her house.
Case study 7 – Thaneshwari Saikia, Kesukhana Kachari, Block – Dhemaji
Optimum utilization of resources
For resources to be utilized properly, they must fall in the right hands. Thaneshwari Saikia is one of those few women who understood the significance of shelters during floods. She did a remarkable thing. With the shelter she received as part of the scheme, she expanded it with her own money and efforts. Her son and daughter-in-law helped her in this initiative and they now live in separate rooms within the same house, to maintain privacy.
Thaneshwari is not alone. Many people like her build their own house and extend the houses provided by SEEDS. Bapukan Saikia, of No.1 Naruathan is one such example. He has made his own house though he was partially supported. Because of enterprising people like them, the village is to some extent turning around to fight the flood.
Case study – 8, Brajen Chutiya, Kesukhana,
This 25 year old man was a trained beneficiary. He was given a house and also given training to build the house. With the training he received from SEEDS, he extended his own house and also started building other people’s houses. This gave a boost to his income.
