A Day with the Brahmaputra’s Climate Refugees

A Day with the Brahmaputra’s Climate Refugees

HIYANDRITA DAS

The first sign of impending loss is rarely the sudden disappearance of a house itself. Instead, it is the gradual erosion of certainty that strikes first. When visible cracks begin to appear in the soil near the Brahmaputra’s chaporis, families living in these vulnerable riverine areas immediately sense the danger that lies ahead.

Children in the region instinctively stop playing close to the riverbank, while farmers start keeping a much closer watch over their fields, especially as the monsoon approaches. During the night, every unfamiliar or unusual sound sends ripples of fear through the community, prompting people to step outside their homes to check on their surroundings and ensure their safety.

By the following morning, another significant piece of land, which once served as someone’s cherished home and source of livelihood, may have completely vanished into the mighty river.

Having been born and raised in Assam, I have always regarded the Brahmaputra as far more than just a river flowing through our landscape. It is deeply woven into the fabric of our history, festivals, folk songs, traditions, and most importantly, it forms a core part of our collective identity as a people.

However, during every monsoon season, I have also witnessed its destructive side through numerous newspaper reports, television stories, and firsthand accounts from those who have lost everything to the relentless forces of erosion. These contrasting realities have created a profound impact on me and ultimately inspired my journey to explore the daily lives and struggles of the people residing on the chaporis of the Brahmaputra.

As someone whose hometown is in Morigaon district, I began my exploration by traveling to the place known as Hindujapori. The first thing that struck me about life on the Brahmaputra’s chaporis was not the overwhelming presence of floodwaters, but rather the abrupt and unsettling silence that hangs over the area.

While many regions across Assam commonly face issues of overflowing rivers and waterlogged roads during the monsoon months, the chaporis in Morigaon present a far more destructive challenge: the constant, gnawing fear of losing one’s home entirely. Every year, numerous families wait with anxious hearts to see whether the river will spare their lands for another season or swallow them forever in its powerful currents.

This recurring natural disaster has given rise to a silent humanitarian crisis that often goes unnoticed by the wider world. While global discussions frequently focus on climate refugees in distant countries, thousands of people living along the banks of the Brahmaputra are effectively becoming refugees within their own state and homeland. Their homes are being washed away, their traditional livelihoods are vanishing, and their children are forced to leave behind their education and schools as families search for more stable ground.

One particularly poignant story unfolds at Hindujapori Char L.P. (E) School, located in the Hindujapori Cluster under Laharighat Block in Morigaon district (UDISE Code: 18090112502). Once a vibrant primary school bustling with 19 students and supported by two to three teachers, it has now been reduced to just three students and a single teacher. This shrinking classroom serves as a powerful symbol of a much larger narrative of displacement caused by the annual floods and the relentless erosion of the riverbanks.

For the past 14 years, Rupankar Kalita has been serving as a dedicated teacher in this school situated beside the Brahmaputra in a highly vulnerable char area, and he is now the only educator remaining there. He vividly recalls how the floods affect not just the physical school building but the entire surrounding region and its communities. “Every year during the monsoon, the whole area gets flooded,” he explained. “Many schools near the river remain closed because students cannot reach them. Even when I somehow manage to go to school, the children often cannot come due to the hazardous conditions.”

Reaching the school itself presents a significant daily struggle for teachers like Kalita. During the dry season, he can travel by two-wheeler, but once the rains arrive, the roads disappear completely under layers of water. “Sometimes I have to travel by a small country boat,” he shared. “There are days when I reach the school completely drenched because we have to cross flooded areas without any proper or reliable transport available.”

Kalita emphasises that transportation remains one of the biggest challenges faced by teachers during the flood season. There are no regular government-operated boats, forcing teachers to wait for private boats to cross the river. Even after completing school hours, they may find themselves stranded on the riverbank for hours until a suitable boat becomes available to take them back.

The impact of these conditions on the education of local children is particularly severe and long-lasting. Floods usually begin in late June and continue through July and August, causing attendance to drop sharply as many children miss classes for several weeks at a time. “When the students finally return after the floods recede, they often forget many of the lessons taught earlier,” Kalita noted. “We have to start teaching those topics again from the beginning, which slows down the overall academic progress.”

Most families in this area belong to economically weaker minority communities, and many parents themselves have received little formal education. Consequently, the children receive very limited academic support or guidance at home, making the role of the school even more crucial in their lives.

The situation has been further aggravated by the ongoing problem of riverbank erosion. According to Kalita, families are repeatedly forced to shift their homes and belongings as the Brahmaputra steadily eats away at the char lands. “The number of students keeps decreasing because people have no option but to move elsewhere after losing their homes and agricultural land,” he said with a sense of deep concern.

Scientific studies have established that the Brahmaputra is one of the most dynamic rivers in the world, carrying vast amounts of sediment that contribute to its ever-changing course. In recent years, the effects of climate change, combined with erratic rainfall patterns and increasingly powerful floods, have significantly accelerated the pace of erosion across Assam’s floodplains, with districts such as Morigaon being particularly affected. What ultimately disappears in this process is not only the physical land but also access to consistent education, healthcare services, and the broader fabric of community life.

Despite enduring these immense hardships year after year, Rupankar Kalita has made the conscious choice to remain committed to his post. “This was my first posting back in 2012,” he reflected. “Over the years, I have developed a close and meaningful relationship with the people here. Even though my own home is located in another district, I don’t feel like leaving this school and the community it serves.”

His dedication extends well beyond regular classroom teaching. In the early years of his service, he and fellow teachers would personally visit homes in the area to persuade parents to send their children to school, as many youngsters were being pulled away to work in the fields instead. “We had to go from house to house and sometimes even bring the children to school ourselves,” he recalled. “Some parents would take them away during school hours for agricultural work, which made our efforts even more challenging.”

When asked about the kind of support the community needs most urgently, Kalita answered without any hesitation. “The first priority should be controlling riverbank erosion effectively,” he stated. “If we can stop the erosion, many other problems will automatically improve because people will no longer have to leave their homes and lands every year in fear.”

He also made a strong appeal for additional teachers to be posted in such remote areas, along with government-operated boats equipped with life jackets, improved transport facilities, and special incentives for educators who serve in these isolated and high-risk char regions. “Teachers often wait for hours for a boat to arrive,” he added. “If the government provides regular and reliable transport along with proper safety arrangements, it will greatly benefit both the teachers and the students who depend on us.”

As I departed from Hindujapori Char L.P. (E) School that day, one powerful thought stayed with me long after. Climate change is frequently explained and analyzed through complex rainfall data and extensive scientific reports. However, in the chaporis of Morigaon, its most heartbreaking and visible evidence can often be found inside a nearly empty classroom, where nineteen children once studied together with energy and hope, but now only three remain.

The Brahmaputra continues to shape and define Assam’s cultural identity in profound ways. Yet for countless families living along its banks, the river has transformed from a source of life and sustenance into a powerful force of displacement and uncertainty. Unless stronger and more effective measures are taken to protect these vulnerable communities, the growing silence inside schools like Hindujapori Char L.P. (E) may become the most resounding reminder of the climate crisis unfolding across Assam.

The story of Hindujapori Char L.P. (E) School goes far beyond mere statistics and numbers. It provides a deeply moving and heartbreaking glimpse into a silent humanitarian crisis that is taking place in our own backyard. As the Brahmaputra reclaims more and more land with each passing season, it steals not only the soil beneath people’s feet but also the stability of entire families and the educational future of their children.

The government has recognized the gravity of this ongoing challenge and is actively working toward long-term solutions aimed at stabilising the riverbanks and supporting affected communities. These efforts include the implementation of structural protection measures through the Flood and River Erosion Management Agency of Assam (FREMAA), which is carrying out major projects across high-risk districts like Morigaon to install climate-resilient embankments and other bank-protection initiatives.

Additionally, infrastructure support backed by international partners such as the Asian Development Bank is helping to fund targeted projects in the most vulnerable stretches of the Brahmaputra. On the educational front, state-led initiatives are introducing transport assistance programs designed to bridge the gap for students in remote and marginalised areas, ensuring they remain connected to their classrooms even during difficult times.

In order to transform these promising beginnings into lasting change and truly safeguard the future of the chaporis, the government must now move forward with even greater vision, urgency, and comprehensive action. It should prioritise large-scale, scientifically planned riverbank erosion control projects that combine traditional wisdom with modern engineering, creating sustainable barriers and eco-friendly embankments capable of withstanding the Brahmaputra’s mighty force while preserving the river’s natural flow.

Alongside this, authorities need to establish a robust network of all-weather roads, reliable government-operated boat services equipped with safety measures, and dedicated transport facilities specifically designed for remote char areas, ensuring that teachers and students can reach schools safely throughout the year. Special incentive packages, including hardship allowances, better housing, and professional development opportunities, must be introduced to attract and retain committed educators like Rupankar Kalita in these challenging locations.

Furthermore, the government should invest in community-led resettlement programs that offer secure alternative lands, livelihood training, and support systems for displaced families, preventing the repeated cycle of loss and migration. Integrating climate-resilient infrastructure, expanded healthcare access, and strengthened disaster preparedness into every development plan for the Brahmaputra valley will be essential.

By fostering close collaboration with local communities, scientific experts, and environmental organisations, the state can build a future where the river remains a source of prosperity rather than displacement. Only through such holistic and compassionate governance can we hope to restore certainty to these families, fill the empty classrooms with the laughter of children once again, and ensure that the Brahmaputra’s waters nourish rather than erode the dreams of Assam’s next generation.

The Brahmaputra remains the heartbeat of Assam, nourishing its lands and culture for generations. For the resilient residents of the chaporis, however, it has become a force that requires our immediate and sustained attention. We must rise to this challenge and take decisive action to ensure that the silence inside schools like Hindujapori does not define our legacy for the future.

HIYANDRITA DAS, DEPT – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY , ANIMATION AND GRAPHIC DESIGNS , GAUHATI UNIVERSITY, e-mail: Honeydas925@gmail.com

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