Jaji River breaches embankment in Teok, over 10 Jorhat villages submerged

Jorhat, Oct 2: Large parts of Jorhat district were left reeling after the Jaji River, swollen by continuous heavy rainfall, breached an embankment in the Ejarguri area in Teok on late Wednesday, submerging nearly 10 villages and causing extensive damage to homes, agricultural land and livestock.

The affected villages, including Ejarguri, Arunamukh, Sonariati, Nepali Gaon, and Auguri, were inundated as floodwaters surged through the breached embankment.

As of Thursday morning, many families remain stranded, with no immediate relief reaching the worst-hit areas. With agricultural land destroyed and livestock lost, residents worry about their survival in the coming weeks.

In the deluge, the house of one family was washed away entirely along with all their belongings. Many villagers reported severe losses of livestock, poultry, and standing crops, striking a heavy blow to families already dependent on daily wage work.

"The water started rising in the evening and became much worse around midnight. Around 12, the embankment gave way, and within minutes, our homes were flooded. Two families lost their houses completely, and none of us have received any relief yet. Our chickens, cattle, everything has been destroyed. If there had been a proper response, we could have tried to save something,” a local recounted the harrowing experience.

Another villager expressed frustration over what they called administrative failure, "By afternoon (Wednesday) itself, we saw the river taking a dangerous form, and the embankment showed early signs of collapse. If timely steps were taken, this breach could have been prevented."

From Wednesday afternoon, villagers had reported that the water level was rising rapidly and by nightfall, strong currents swept through the settlements.

The floodwaters also washed away tea garden areas, sweeping across large swathes of cultivated land and submerging agricultural fields.

Locals fear that the damage to crops and homes could be severe, though officials say the full extent of losses can only be assessed once the waters recede.