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While June proved to be a scorching month in many parts of North India, the situation was quite different in the North East. Devastating rains have left more than 150 people dead in Assam alone and overturned the lives of more than 37 lakh people, destroying homes and crops.
Rokibu Zaman, Scroll.in’s correspondent in the region, vividly described the effect this extreme weather event on residents.
In Darrang district’s Mangaldoi town, Pankah Deka, whose home had been flooded with chest-deep water for several days, told Zaman that it seemed like he was in a scene from the film Titanic, as residents clung to each other, hollering for help. “It was unlike anything I had ever seen in real life,” said Deka.
In Silchar, Abhishek Patoa described the trauma of having to flee his flooded home along with his 70-year-old-father and 60-year-old mother. “There is no electricity, no food or drinking water,” he said. “Life has been destroyed. We don’t know when things will be normal again.”
A few days later, the heavy rains in neighbouring Meghalaya set off a landslide near Mawsynram, one of the wettest places on earth. Thirty four people died. Zaman reported on how rampant mining and construction contributed to the tragedy.
Across the country, in Uttar Pradesh, Aishwarya Iyer did a series of reports on the aftermath of protests against a Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson’s derogatory remarks about the Prophet. In Kanpur, the family of a minor boy alleged that he was taken into custody and assaulted by the police.
In Prayagraj, a Muslim activist’s home was razed by a bulldozer hours after he was arrested for protesting the spokesperson’s remarks. In Saharanpur, Iyer spoke to the families of Muslim men who could be seen in a viral video being brutally assaulted in a police station.
These are only a few of the dozens of stories we’ve reported this month.
Thank you so much again for helping us bring readers facts from the ground. We look forward to your continued support.
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