To make a living during floods, an Assamese guy creates a mobile shop on a banana plant raft

Heavy flooding has wreaked havoc on people’s life in Assam, and locals are facing fresh hardships every day. However, a paan store owner was seen transporting a few vital products on his “mobile” shop, demonstrating a resilient side with a splash of inventiveness.

Dhaneshwar Das has set up a makeshift shop on a raft made of banana plant trunks stitched together and has been navigating Guwahati’s waterlogged streets to assist others who have become stranded in their homes. Das, armed with a large umbrella, set up his floating “store” on the tree raft by erecting a little plastic table on top of it and rowing through the flooded streets with a large bamboo as an oar.

Das has been floating atop his portable shop in the submerged districts of Rukmini Goan, carrying vital supplies such as water and candles, as well as tamul (betel nut) leaves.

The small-time merchant told indianexpress.com that he had to resort to this to make ends meet. “Necessity is the mother of invention,” he remarked when asked what inspired him to think of this. Floods triggered by torrential rains have wracked portions of Guwahati for the past week, and Rukmini Goan is one of the areas impacted.

Every year, floods hit Assam like clockwork. As does the devastation that comes with it. As the Brahmaputra and its tributaries dangerously flood above the danger level in numerous sections of the state, nearly 45 lakh people across 33 districts of the state are currently affected. According to a statement released by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Sunday, nine more people have died this year, bringing the total death toll to 71.

Assam has already seen 47 percent excessive rainfall between June 1 and 15, according to the Regional Meteorological Department in Guwahati, with 284.1 millimetres of actual rainfall compared to the normal 193.9 for the two weeks.

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