Upper Assam floods leave young migrant workers facing unemployment
Returning to destroyed homes and silted farmlands, many workers are struggling to rebuild lives after the July floods, according to The Assam Tribune.
Young migrant workers in Upper Assam are facing unemployment and uncertainty after the July floods destroyed their homes and farmlands, according to The Assam Tribune.
In Sivasagar and Charaideo districts, the deluge destroyed around 3,000 houses and partially damaged more than 11,000 others, leaving many families without assets or livelihoods.
Nagen Bhumij, a construction worker who had been working in Hyderabad, returned to Majgaon in Sivasagar after his house was washed away. He said he is currently surviving on relief supplies from the government and voluntary organisations but noted that some supplies were damaged due to a lack of proper storage in his temporary shelter.
Bhumij stated that his farmland remains covered in silt and debris, making it unfit for cultivation until February-March.
Aftab Hussain, who had been working at a motorcycle parts manufacturing unit in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, also returned home after the floods damaged his house walls and belongings. Hussain, who had been earning around Rs 20,000 a month, said he will have to look for a job locally as cultivation is not currently possible.
The disaster has forced many young people to reconsider migrating for work as they attempt to support their families amidst the loss of stable income.