Assam Man Rescues 2,000 During Floods, Advocates Swimming Skills

In the early hours of July 19, while the majority of the population was asleep, 25-year-old Shravan Kumar made his way to the banks of the Dikhow River in Bihubor, Assam. Shravan, a daily wage laborer from Silani No. 2 Quarry, typically visits the river during the monsoon season to collect logs that have been swept downstream. This task provides him with a modest income, essential for supporting his family throughout the year, especially as they do not rely on LPG cylinders for cooking. However, that fateful morning, the river's ominous roar signaled an impending disaster. The current was unusually strong, with massive tree trunks being swept away, indicating that a significant flood was imminent. Having grown up near the river, Shravan recognized the signs of danger and understood that a catastrophic flood was on the horizon.

The floods that struck on July 19 wreaked havoc across the Nazira co-district in Sivasagar district, unleashing an unprecedented level of destruction. Within a matter of hours, entire villages were submerged, roads vanished beneath the rushing waters, and power outages left communities in darkness. Communication systems failed, trapping countless families in their homes as the floodwaters surged. Many residents who had never considered evacuating were forced to seek refuge on rooftops and ceilings, while children cried in fear and the elderly awaited rescue with a sense of helplessness. The situation became dire as patients in need of medical attention remained stranded in their flooded homes, with cries for help echoing from every corner of the inundated villages. This disaster marked one of the worst flood crises to impact Upper Assam in recent years, affecting over seven hundred thousand individuals and resulting in the tragic loss of 66 lives, a toll that continued to rise as rescue efforts faced significant challenges.