Echoes of Loss: A Widow's Resilience to Rebuild Life, Washed Away By Bengal Floods

The recent Bengal floods have left an indelible mark on the lives of over 50 lakh people. With at least 28 lives tragically lost and thousands of homes swept away, the aftermath paints a somber picture of loss and resilience. Among those navigating this harsh reality is 63-year-old Sandhya Santra, a widow whose world has been upended once again. Settled in a primary school at Kushali in Hooghly’s Khanakul, Sandhya ordeals are as limitless as is the endless view of the flood water surrounding the make shift relief centre. “I know how I survived that night. A village police rescued me. Now I wonder why I survived…” said Sandhya.

Her story began three decades ago when she and her late husband, Ramesh, got a modest house by the erstwhile Left Front government under a social welfare scheme. “That time a piece of brick came for Re 1 and a bag of cement came for less than Rs 100. We got the house way back in 1990s”, she recalled. It was a simple structure, but it stood as a testament to their dreams, a sanctuary where their two daughters were born and raised. For Sandhya, that house was more than just a structure of bricks and mortar; it was a repository of memories—a place where laughter echoed and love blossomed. After the passing of her husband, and following the marriage of both her daughters, she had all the time in the world to dwell in the cherished memories of her husband within the four walls of the single storied building. But now, the remnants of that life have been washed away.

“I can still see it in my mind,” Sandhya said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “It was more than just a house. It held our stories, our struggles, and our joys. On the night of Tuesday my world collapsed, as I swam out of the main door and turned back, I saw my house collapse. I saw the roof fall and submerge under the water along with all the four walls that I called my world” she recalled. On the evening of September 17, within a span of nine hours, more than 2 lakh cusecs of water was released by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), the dam controlled by the Central government. Khanakul in Hooghly district is one of the worst affected areas. There are multiple rivers and tributaries. As the water level kept rising, the village dams were breached and in less than one hour, villages after villages were flooded, some even drowned under the water. Kushali village where Sandhya lived had drowned in the massive landward influx of water. As the water surged, it engulfed not only her home but also the very essence of her past.

In the chaos of evacuation, she clutched a small iron ‘kadai’—an emblem of their shared life. “My husband and I went to the market bought that kadai together, one of the first few things we had picked up as couple soon after our marriage. It’s old and rusty now, just like me, but it holds our memories,” she recalled, her voice tinged with nostalgia. For years, the kadai had been her cooking companion, bridging the past and present. Yet, like her home, it too has been claimed by the floodwaters.
Now, at the relief centre, Sandhya finds herself surrounded by a sea of strangers bonded by the same fate. Families gather around makeshift stoves, sharing stories of loss and survival. The camp is filled with children’s laughter, yet beneath the surface lied a current of grief. Each person carried a story, each story echoing the weight of their past. “I keep hoping the waters will recede,” she said, a flicker of determination crossed her face as she continued “I want to go back, to see if there’s anything left. Maybe I can find my kadai, or at least a piece of my home.”

Sandhya’s resilience was palpable. She spoke of rebuilding, of starting anew, even as she acknowledged the void left by the floods. “It will be hard, but I have my daughters. They will help me. We will find a way.. For now I will use tarpaulin or plastic sheets but I will go back to my land”, she winded. Her voice was steady, reflective of a lifetime of endurance. The floods may have taken her house and her kadai, but they could not wash away the memories that reside inside her heart. Meanwhile, the state government has announced that the first installment of houses under the government scheme will be released to the enlisted 11 lakh beneficiaries by December this year. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that flood affected people, who have lost their houses, will be accommodated in the list even if their names weren’t there.