Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Assam’s flood disaster turned lethal this week. The death toll climbed to 62 as record-breaking rains triggered sudden, violent flooding across Upper Assam. More than 7.5 lakh people remain trapped in the deluge across 12 districts, including Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Hojai, Nagaon, Kamrup (Metro), Karbi Anglong, Biswanath, Dhemaji, and Sonitpur.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the rising casualty count on social media, mourning the lives lost. The devastation unfolded with terrifying speed. Rainfall in parts of Nagaland and Assam hit nearly 500 percent above normal between July 18 and July 20. Entire districts vanished under water in just four hours. "Usually, we can anticipate floods as rivers gradually rise. But this time, rain began around 3 pm on July 18, and by 7 pm, widespread devastation had already occurred," Sarma said.
Rescue operations are failing to cover the map. Roughly 20 to 30 percent of the worst-hit areas in Nazira and Sivasagar remain completely inaccessible. Thick mud and destroyed road networks block access for ground crews. Officials report that nearly 50,000 people in Nazira and 30,000 in Sivasagar still await government relief. While 103 camps provide shelter to 24,124 displaced citizens, thousands more remain isolated. Around 40 families in Nazira are officially listed as missing, a figure the Chief Minister expects will rise.
Infrastructure took a massive hit. Over 56,606 hectares of agricultural land remain submerged, destroying crops and livelihoods. More than 60,000 households still lack electricity after floodwaters surged over transformers. Urban areas are not spared. In Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro), water invaded 10 municipal wards, impacting nearly 15,000 residents.
Rivers continue to pose a lethal threat. The Burhidihing, Dikhou, Desang, Dhansiri, and Kushiyara rivers are all flowing well above the red mark. An inter-ministerial team from the Centre arrives on July 25 to assess the ruin. The state government maintains that while relief efforts are ongoing, traditional methods of manual distribution remain more effective than drone drops in the wreckage of the flood zone.
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