Sivasagar, Aug. 2 -- When floodwaters raced into the Nepali Khuti area in Assam's Sivasagar district on July 19, a small group of local villagers armed with nothing but six country-made boats became the difference between life and death for over people across five villages.

Sivasagar has been among the worst-hit districts in this year's flood, with large parts of the district submerged, homes and shops wrecked.

Locals who helped with the rescue recall that the water rose to a dangerous level and entered homes, forcing many families onto rooftops, machans, and tree branches.

Chouhan Choudhury, one of the rescue team members, described the speed with which the disaster unfolded.

"We were at home, but the water came at such a speed. We s...