It has been over 10 days now since the Barak River inundated Silchar. On Tuesday, several parts of the town continued to remain under water with residents now fearing an outbreak of water-borne diseases.
The administration is making efforts to reach out to the worst affected parts with drinking water and food but many have claimed that they received no relief.
“It is possible that some areas could not be accessed, particularly neighbourhoods connected by narrow lanes and bylanes. However, we have urged locals to try and gather at the nearest Chowk to collect relief. An effort is also on to map the flood-affected parts of the town so we may distribute relief material more efficiently,” Cachar Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli said.
Residents, however, said that it may not be possible for all to wade through waist-deep water to collect relief. There is no electricity and pumps can’t be run.
“How do they expect us to wash off the muck after returning home? As it is, filth has entered the ground floors of our homes. We have to exercise all caution or there will be an outbreak of enteric diseases. We have heard that some boats with purification units are distributing drinking water. Trouble is that our mobile phones are not working and we can’t communicate with others in the neighbourhood to ensure a collective effort,” said Sunit Purkayastha, a resident.
The town has run out of even basic items like candles and it gets pitch dark in most neighbourhoods after sunset.
Some cases of thefts and robberies have also been reported.
Soma Barua noted how scary it gets at night as she locks herself up inside a room with her two minor children.
“Our tenants left the ground floor after water started entering their portion. We have been spending sleepless nights ever since. My husband sits outside the room and maintains vigil. Even a slight noise makes us jump. We don’t know how long we can bear this torture,” she said.
