Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced an ex gratia of ₹4 lakh for the families of each person who died in the ongoing floods, as the death toll rose to 31 and the state continued to battle one of its worst flood disasters in decades.
During visits to the worst-affected districts of Sivasagar and Charaideo, the Chief Minister met displaced families in relief camps and reviewed rescue and rehabilitation measures. He assured flood victims that the government would stand by them throughout the recovery process.
Sarma said the scale of destruction was unprecedented, with floodwaters submerging entire villages and reaching rooftops in several areas. He noted that around 70 people remain missing in Sivasagar district alone, making it difficult to determine the final death toll at this stage.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), over 5.64 lakh people across 16 districts have been affected by the latest wave of floods, while more than 1.14 lakh people are taking shelter in relief camps and relief distribution centres.
The Chief Minister said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indian Army, Assam Police and district administrations were jointly conducting rescue operations in the affected regions. Responding to demands for additional rescue boats, he said the government would provide all necessary resources but acknowledged that widespread inundation had created logistical challenges for rescue teams.
Official data showed that 95 relief camps and 469 relief distribution centres are currently operational, while essential food items, drinking water, tarpaulins and other relief materials are being supplied across affected districts.
Addressing the Assam Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika described the floods in Upper Assam as the worst in more than six decades. He said districts such as Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat, which rarely experience floods of this magnitude, were severely affected after intense rainfall and a cloudburst in neighbouring Nagaland caused rivers to overflow.
The minister informed the House that several embankments had been breached or overtopped and urged political parties not to politicise the disaster while rescue efforts were still underway.
Meanwhile, the Congress demanded a detailed discussion on the flood situation and sought an adjournment of Assembly proceedings, arguing that thousands of people remained stranded. The proposal was rejected by the Speaker due to scheduled legislative business, although opposition members were allowed to raise their concerns.
The Chief Minister also said that floods between April 29 and July 21 affected more than 7.27 lakh people across 25 districts, highlighting the prolonged impact of this year’s monsoon.
