West Midnapore, August 21, 2026: For seven days, 63-year-old Sudhanshu Ghorai and his ailing wife Gouri, 55, have been living on a makeshift bamboo raft covered with a tarpaulin sheet near their submerged home in Khaukhanda village of Sabang block in West Midnapore.
The couple could have moved to a flood relief centre like many of their neighbours, but they chose to stay behind to protect their cows and goats, their main source of livelihood.
Livestock keeps couple from leaving home
The couple’s rooms have been completely inundated, forcing them to move outside their home. Their cattle and goats, however, remain on patches of dry ground.
“Our rooms are submerged, and our entire area remains waterlogged. There are snakes in the water. Our cattle and goats are somehow surviving as they have found patches of dry land. We don’t dare leave them,” Sudhanshu said.
Gouri added that the couple was particularly worried about snakes attacking their livestock.
The Ghorais own nearly a bigha of agricultural land, but the income is barely enough to meet their needs. Their animals provide an important source of livelihood.
Thousands affected by flooding
The couple’s plight is among several stories of hardship emerging from flood-hit areas of West and East Midnapore. More than a lakh people have reportedly been affected in Sabang and Patashpur, while around 5,000 houses have been damaged.
The Keleghai river has started receding, but large areas remain submerged. In Sabang, 13 gram panchayat areas have been affected, with five among the worst-hit.
Thousands of residents have moved to relief camps or taken shelter with relatives. Two people, including a three-year-old child, have reportedly drowned in separate incidents in Sabang.
Flood brings additional dangers
Floodwaters have also created unexpected hazards. On Thursday, 51-year-old Ranjan Parui of Dasgram was travelling by boat to deliver food to relatives cut off by the flooding when a hanging 11,000-volt high-tension wire touched him.
The electric shock threw Parui into the water and capsized his boat. He survived after receiving treatment but could not deliver the food.
As water levels fall in some areas, the administration has begun facilitating the return of people from relief shelters. However, for families such as the Ghorais, returning home remains impossible.
For now, the bamboo platform beneath the tarpaulin remains their only refuge as they wait for the floodwaters to recede.