ASSAM FAMILY LOSES SON IN A FLOODED PIT

NAGARBERA: Floods are an annual phenomenon in Nagarbera— like in many parts of Assam. But despite witnessing surging waters of the Brahmaputra so close for several years, Kushal Das never learned to swim.

That handicap cost him his life. The 13-year-old’s lifeless body was found last Thursday inside a flooded pit located barely 200 metres behind his home.

The student of Class 7 had gone out late afternoon looking for the family’s cows. When he didn’t return, a search was launched. Kushal’s uncle discovered the body close to an inundated road.

The pit which resulted in Kushal’s death was dug up by earth movers to fill a newly constructedroad and was never covered up.

The shattered family cremated the boy on Friday.

For officials, Kushal is just a statistic . But for the family of the only victim from Kamrup, he was the spark which kept everyone happy. The second of Anil Das and his wife Sabhya’s three sons, the teenager was a live wire who used to play pranks and help everyone with their tasks.

“His elder brother passed Class 10 board exams in his second attempt. Kushal used to joke he would take four attempts to cross that barrier. He didn’t get even one chance,” his mother breaks down recollectingmemories at their home .

With Kushal gone, his father is busy trying to complete the formalities needed to secure the compensation given to flood victims so that the last rituals could be organised well.

Assam’s floods claimed four more lives on Sunday, taking the toll in two waves of deluge to 151.