Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Assam’s flood death toll hit 78 after three new fatalities surfaced in Sivasagar and Golaghat districts. Officials report over 3,00,031 people remain affected across seven districts: Sivasagar, Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon, Biswanath, and Kamrup Metropolitan. Waters currently submerge 551 villages across 21 revenue circles.
The state government responded by raising ex gratia payments for the next of kin of the deceased to Rs 9 lakh. This includes the existing Rs 4 lakh plus an additional Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified the updated policy during a recent briefing. "Over and above the Rs 4 lakh ex gratia per victim that is paid at present, we have decided to give additional Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased from the CM’s Relief Fund," he said.
Bureaucracy has been slashed to speed up claims. The government dropped the mandatory post-mortem requirement, accepting certificates from circle officers instead. Families of missing persons now qualify for the same compensation if bodies stay unrecovered after one month. The state is also sending Rs 15,000 in interim assistance to severely affected households in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, and Golaghat.
Students in these districts get a break too. The Assam State School Education Board will issue free duplicate documents, including marksheets and admit cards, for those who lost them to floodwaters. Applicants simply need to upload a self-declaration to the SEBA or AHSEC portals to waive police report requirements. Additional support for textbooks and uniforms is available for students from secondary through postgraduate levels.
Urban flooding plagues Kamrup Metropolitan, where water sits in Padumbari, Boragaon, Excelcare Hospital area, Lachit Nagar, Zoo Road, Rukminigaon, Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Satgaon, Beharbari, Hatigaon, Wireless, Jorabat, and Kamarkuchi near Zubeen Khetra. While no population was officially listed as affected by this urban flooding, widespread damage to 21,523.08 hectares of cropland and local infrastructure persists. Telecom operators extended the intra-circle roaming facility in Sivasagar until 11.59 pm on July 30 to maintain connectivity.
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