Devastating and Extra-ordinary flood in Assam

Mrinal Chatterjee

Window Seat 

Assam is experiencing the worst flood in living memory. The mid-July 2026 Assam floods are officially recognized by the state government as the worst deluge to hit eastern Upper Assam in 60 years. Driven by extreme, climate-change-induced rainfall and downstream run-offs, the disaster has severely impacted regions historically considered safe from major flooding.

At least 75 people have died over the last few weeks from drowning, landslides, and house collapses. Between 6.5 to 8 lakh individuals have been severely impacted across several districts, with tens of thousands forced into relief camps. Over 45,000 hectares of farmland and crops have been submerged, alongside widespread destruction of roads, bridges, and local schools.

While Assam experiences annual monsoon flooding, the 2026 crisis is extraordinary because it devastated three historically flood-resilient districts on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River- Sivasagar, Jorhat and Charaideo. These three districts alone accounted for over 94% of the total affected population.

It’s time for all Indians to stand with the flood affected people of Assam.  

Kanwad Yatra: Faith, Freedom and Public Responsibility

Come Shravan, and the roads in almost all North and East Indian cities are full of kanwad-yatris or kanwadias or BolbomYatries, as they are called in Odisha. Hundreds of thousands of mostly saffron clad devotees of Lord Shiva, who walk to offer holy water to Lord Shiva.

The Kanwad Yatra has grown dramatically over the past two decades, transforming from a relatively modest religious pilgrimage into one of the largest annual public gatherings in India. For many participants, the journey is a deeply personal expression of faith, discipline and devotion. For some, it is kind of a carnival, with loud music and group dance.

However, the rapid expansion of the Yatra has also created significant civic challenges. Temporary road closures, traffic diversions and restrictions on highways often lead to severe congestion, delaying commuters, and commercial transport, even at times ambulances. In several places, reports of vandalism, aggressive behaviour, noise pollution and confrontations over right of way have raised concerns about public order. The economic cost of disrupted transport and lost productivity is also substantial.

In a democracy, the right to practise one's religion is fundamental. Equally important, however, is every citizen's right to safe roads, uninterrupted emergency services and freedom of movement. These rights should not be viewed as competing but as complementary.

The solution lies not in questioning religious devotion but in improving its management. Better route planning, dedicated pilgrimage corridors where feasible, strict enforcement of law, limits on road occupation and greater public awareness can help minimise disruption. Faith is at its noblest when it inspires compassion and discipline. A pilgrimage that respects both devotion and the rights of fellow citizens strengthens not only religion but also the social fabric of the nation.

The Umbrella

Many of us buy umbrellas every monsoon season. Buying an umbrella is easy. Keeping it till the end of the monsoon season is another matter.

Umbrellas possess an extraordinary instinct for migration. They disappear from buses, trains, offices, cafés, and wedding halls with the determination of migratory birds. If an umbrella survives three rainy seasons with the same owner, it deserves a lifetime achievement award. Its owner too deserves one.

Then there is the eternal duel between the umbrella and the wind. The umbrella opens with dignity, only to be turned inside out within seconds, looking less like a protective device and more like a distressed jellyfish. At that precise moment, pedestrians become amateur philosophers. They smile sympathetically, as though to say, "Life, my friend."

The umbrella also has an uncanny relationship with weather forecasts. Carry one, and the sun shines with tropical enthusiasm. Leave it at home, and the heavens immediately organise what appears to be a rehearsal for Noah's Ark.

Perhaps the umbrella's greatest contribution is psychological rather than practical. It does not always keep us dry, but it allows us to believe we are prepared. And maybe that is the real secret of civilisation—not defeating nature, but carrying a folding piece of hope while nature laughs gently from above.