Guwahati: A month after floods turned villages along Dikhow into ruins, homes are rising again, offering hope amid a livelihood crisis.NGOs, civil society groups and YouTubers have helped families in Hiloni Nepali Khuti and adjoining villages rebuild, constructing bamboo houses with tin-sheet roofs. Silt covering the villages has also been cleared, allowing residents to resume daily activities.Gobinda Sharma, 30, of Hiloni Nepali Khuti, said, “Now, two- to three-roomed houses have been built using bamboo and tin-sheet roofs for villagers to take shelter. Though we lost everything in a blink of an eye on July 19 and uncertainty loomed over, people from across the state and other parts of the country have come forward and stood by us. They helped us in constructing the houses.”He said livelihood was now the biggest challenge. Around 500 families live in the village, including about 280 Gorkha families engaged in dairy farming. Each family owned 15-20 cattle on average, with an annual turnover of Rs 7-8 lakh, he said.Balaram Sharma (38) lost 16 of his 23 cattle; the remaining seven were rescued from different places.“We are not financially sound enough to buy cattle at this moment. Whatever money we saved in cash has been spent away. We cannot go to other places in search of a job at this moment. Let’s see what happens. It will be good if govt provides livelihood support,” he said.Balaram said the July 19 flood was far worse than the seasonal flooding that affects the riverbank villages. Though Dikhow recedes sharply in winter, allowing people to cross it on foot, he said the deluge was unlike anything they had experienced.
