In photos: The bleak lives of Assam flood survivors

Floods in Assam have left behind a trail of destruction

The north-eastern state of Assam in India has been ravaged by deadly floods - among the worst in the region's history - which have affected millions of residents and forced thousands to take shelter in relief camps.

The BBC's Anshul Verma visited the flood-hit area of Silchar city recently where he saw thousands of people struggling to access food, medicines and drinking water as flooded streets made any travel almost impossible.

People searched desperately for boats, rafts or any mode of transport that would help them reach shelters set up by the government. Many said they struggled to evacuate the elderly and take ailing family members to hospitals.

The Indian army and the National Disaster Response Force have been carrying out relief operations in the state, evacuating residents from flooded areas and bringing them food and water.

More than 148,000 people are in 299 relief camps spread out across the state, Assam's disaster management agency said.

But the situation in the shelters is not much better as several families are crammed into small spaces, sometimes up to 30 people to a room. Many of these shelters are homes or schools that have been temporarily turned into relief camps to take in people affected by the floods.

Here, too, access to clean water and sanitation remains a struggle. People who injured themselves as they fled their homes in the middle of the night said they had not been able to get medical attention in the camps.

Many said they had left all their belongings behind and lost important identification documents to the floods.

With their homes destroyed, thousands of residents are now sheltering in makeshift camps

Residents say this has been the worst flood in living memory

Living conditions in shelters are difficult - residents say they're running out of food and drinking water

Flooded roads have made it difficult for people to evacuate their homes and move to safer places

Parents in Assam say they worry about the future of their children

People wade through flood waters to reach a makeshift shelter in Silchar city

"My citizenship documents got wet in the last floods. This time I have tied them up in a plastic bag to keep them safe"

The Indian army and the NDRF have been trying to provide food and water to people living in isolated areas

With their livelihoods destroyed, people are desperately searching for help

All images by Anshul Verma; Text by Meryl Sebastian