Assam Battles Floods and Drug Trafficking as State Launches Relief Efforts

Guwahati: Assam is grappling with a dual crisis of environmental disaster and organized crime. Narcotics worth Rs 28 crore were seized in Cachar district, where police and Assam Rifles recovered 1.1 lakh Yaba tablets and 223 grams of heroin. Three suspects are in custody. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared the crackdown will continue. “The drug mafia continues to face the full force of the law in Assam,” Sarma said. In a separate strike, Udalguri Police intercepted 344.38 kg of ganja valued at Rs 1.72 crore, leading to one arrest.

Simultaneously, the state is reeling from devastating floods. Rainfall between July 18 and 22 reached 137 mm, causing the Dikhow, Disang, Darika, Dhansiri, Jhanji, and Bhogdoi rivers to breach embankments. The death toll has hit 89. More than 1.22 lakh people remain affected across ten districts, including Sivasagar, Dhemaji, Golaghat, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Charaideo, Karbi Anglong, Hojai, and Kamrup (Metropolitan). Over 15,000 hectares of cropland are underwater.

Relief efforts are underway. Vedanta Group donated Rs 7 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to aid rehabilitation. Authorities currently operate 39 relief camps housing 12,382 displaced people. The government announced Rs 15,000 in interim aid for over 75,000 families, with ex gratia payments of Rs 9 lakh for families of the deceased. Official household damage assessments begin August 9.

Critics point to environmental mismanagement. Former Opposition leader Debabrat Saikia blamed unchecked stone and sand mining in the Dikhow river for worsening the flood impact. Experts note that unscientific coal mining in the Naga Hills of Nagaland exacerbated the silt-heavy deluge. While the Nagaland government cites Article 371A regarding land rights, officials warn that a lack of inter-state cooperation could lead to future disasters.