The cows were their livelihood. The goats, their insurance. Then the flood came.
For Assam’s flood-hit families, livestock is income, insurance and food. Some have learned to live with floodwater through knowledge inherited over generations, but rapid, unplanned development is eroding that resilience.
The cows were the lifeblood of their livelihood, while goats served as their insurance policy. Then, a devastating flood struck. By noon, water had already reached the necks of villagers in Nepali Khuti, a dairy farming community in Assam. Krishna Prasad Sharma's family - his wife and two sons - were calling for help as he delivered milk nearby in Sivasagar.
None of them could swim, and the swift current of Nepali Khuti had already claimed whatever stood in its path. Neighbors, a mother and her son, did not hesitate. Using a bamboo pole, they broke through the ventilator of the trapped family's house, lifting all four onto the tin roof. There, they remained for the remainder of July 19th, witnessing their village vanish beneath the rising floodwaters.
Written by urgent.news from Live Mint's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
