Sivasagar, Aug 4: The Gorkha Development Council (GDC) has begun setting up temporary relief camps and storage facilities for relief materials in Assam’s flood-ravaged Sivasagar district, saying many displaced families have no homes to return to after the recent floods.
GDC chairman Prem Tamang said unprecedented flooding on July 19 buried entire villages under mud and debris carried by floodwaters from neighbouring Nagaland, causing widespread destruction in the Greater Bihubor area, including Nepalikhuti and Hiloni villages.
According to Tamang, only 15 to 20 of nearly 283 houses in Nepalikhuti remain standing, while the rest have either collapsed or become uninhabitable, forcing residents to seek shelter elsewhere.
He said the council has started constructing temporary shelters and storage facilities to ensure relief materials and cattle feed reach displaced families who are no longer living in their villages.
Tamang also said the floods severely affected livelihoods, particularly cattle rearing and dairy farming, with an estimated 1,000 cattle killed in the disaster.
He said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, during his recent visit to Nepalikhuti, assured residents that a guard wall would be constructed along the Dikhow River to help protect the area from future floods.
Tamang added that the GDC would continue supporting displaced families through temporary relief camps and community-led initiatives until permanent rehabilitation is completed.
