During this monsoon Barpeta district experienced severe flooding by overflowing the main two rivers Beki and Brahmaputra. In particular, Chenga Assembly constituency was hard-hit, more than 60 major Char villages (River Island) have been affected by flooding and people were facing massive problems due to this recent flood. Due to continuous heavy rainfall the region was affected by flood and destroyed their houses and submerged agriculture land.

Mostly the char villages facing severe flood damages and resulting in the mass displacement of thousands of people. In many places water reached up to the bed level and later people elevated their bed. The people of these regions were forced to live with the domestic animals in a small raised platform in the middle of the river in an unhygienic environment. People suffered a lot and everywhere in just water and people also suffered from lacking basic facilities, drinking water and other food shortages. Particularly women and children were faced with more problems, like there were no sanitary toilets as well.

The people communicate only with their small boat and carry their materials to safe places. Poor people who have no boat were using banana trees to make a temporary boat called bhura. Thousands of people stayed on a raised platform in a temporary shelter made of tarpaulin sheet and locally available bamboo. Many houses were washed away completely by flood water. In many char villages, there is no raised platform available and many homes have been eroded in this area and later displaced people have sought their shelter in the roadsides or embankment.

Deluwar Hussain is persuing M.A in Development at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. Deluwar aeas of interest include health and nutrition, seeds conservation and rural livelihood with a special focus on flood and river erosion in Char village.