Assam floods devastate dairy herd and threaten livelihoods in Nepali Khuti

On 19 July, intense rain caused the Dikhow river to overflow, flooding the dairy village of Nepali Khuti and trapping Krishna Prasad Sharma’s family on their roof. Neighbours broke through the house’s ventilator with a bamboo pole and lifted the family to safety, but the 24 Jersey cows left in the shed were unable to escape the rising water and all but one died. The herd, which generated roughly 150 litres of milk each day and a monthly income of about ₹2,25,000, was the family’s primary livelihood, and its loss may take four to five years to replace.

A handful of chickens and goats survived, but the family now faces an uncertain future. Nearby Bonqual Balichapori illustrates a different adaptation model, with bamboo-stilt homes, raised livestock shelters and community practices that allow residents to move animals and belongings before floodwaters arrive.