As the rains and floods brought ruin to Assam this year, police personnel and their families living in Dibrugarh’s Police Reserve fell back on their annual ritual. Some left for the houses of relatives, some took refuge in government shelters and others checked into hotels.

The colony is located in the low-lying heart of the city, with newer constructions all around it. Even if it rains continuously for three or four hours, the residents are forced to flee, as water rushes in. And if rains incessantly, as it did during the monsoon floods, the damage is worse.

The Police Reserve is in the heart of Dibrugarh city.
A couple of constables leave for duty.
Everyone had to take shelter in the floods.
More than 3 lakh people were affected by the floods this year, which killed more than 30 people and damaged hectares of cropland. At one point in July, as many as 464 villages in nine districts were inundated, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.

For the residents of the Police Reserve in Dibrugarh, the devastation was all too familiar. The older ones among them say they have experienced the flooding for over 25 years. Most quarters are now old, congested and beyond repair. Some have been abandoned.

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Here are some images that fine their loss and trauma:

This boy is glued to his favourite show, Pokemon.
Even gumboots are of no use.
A little boy and his grandma. He's not going out to play today.
This little girl came to her aunt’s place for a vacation.
Ram Chandra Gohain is due to retire next year after serving for more than 25 years.
A constable returs home after a day's duty.
And the rose continues to bloom.

Anjan Nag is a freelance photographer from Assam. He completed his Diploma in Photography from Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, New Delhi.