Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam remains underwater. The official death toll climbed to 41 on July 22, and authorities warn the count will rise. Between 70 and 80 people are still missing. The flooding, fueled by an upstream cloudburst in Nagaland, has triggered a humanitarian catastrophe across 25 districts. Over nine lakh people face displacement.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the gravity of the disaster after visiting Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, and Golaghat. "The flood situation in Assam is quite serious. So far, 40 people have died, but according to our assessment, there are still 70 to 80 people missing. I estimate that the casualty figure will rise further," Sarma told reporters. The administration reported 6,43,350 people affected across 35 revenue circles and 889 villages. Agricultural losses are mounting, with 24,891.66 hectares of crop area submerged.
Urban centers are not spared. Kamrup, Darrang, Kamrup Metropolitan, and Dibrugarh report severe waterlogging across 16 localities. The state has scrambled to establish over 148 relief camps, housing nearly 30,000 displaced residents. Forces from the Army, Air Force, National Disaster Response Force, and State Disaster Response Force are running round-the-clock rescue missions. Drones are now delivering supplies to those trapped in remote, inaccessible zones.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Sarma to coordinate the response. An inter-ministerial central team will arrive shortly to evaluate destruction and expedite recovery funds. Sarma noted that rainfall was 436 percent above normal levels. New threats loom as water is released from the Doyang Hydel Power Project in Nagaland. Rivers including the Buridihing, Dikhou, Disang, Dhansiri, and Kushiyara have breached danger marks.
Political tensions spiked inside the Assam Assembly. Marshals removed Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi after he climbed his desk to protest the refusal of an adjournment motion on the floods. Relief operations continue despite the chaos. Officials have already moved 3,00,000 kilograms of rice to the hardest-hit areas.
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