Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Assam’s flood crisis has claimed 80 lives. Two more deaths occurred in Sivasagar, including a boy who drowned. The state remains in a precarious state. More than 2.12 lakh people are still reeling from the deluge.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority reports that 437 villages across 21 revenue circles across eight districts remain under water. While conditions are slowly improving, Charaideo remains the hardest hit, with roughly 80,000 residents affected. Sivasagar and Jorhat follow closely. Displaced citizens currently occupy 112 relief camps and distribution centers. Shelters hold 75,583 people. Over 17,000 hectares of cropland remain submerged, while the Dhansiri River flows above danger levels at Numaligarh.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a six-month moratorium on loan repayments effective from July 19. This relief covers housing, education, vehicle, and agricultural loans in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, and Golaghat. Banks will also restructure debt, extending loan tenures by up to seven years for qualified borrowers. Retail shop owners will receive an additional Rs 10,000 in credit without needing new collateral. Furthermore, the state will provide Rs 1.5 lakh to each Namghar in Sivasagar and Charaideo to fund repairs.
Families of the deceased will receive a total of Rs 9 lakh in compensation. This includes Rs 4 lakh via Circle Officer certification and an additional Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Households severely damaged by the floods will receive Rs 15,000 in direct cash transfers. Students will get free replacement documents, and schools will receive funds for new uniforms.
State officials have petitioned the Central government for a dedicated support package. During a visit from the Inter-Ministerial Central Team, the state requested that the disaster be classified as an "atypical, high-intensity, rapid-onset event" to unlock flexible funding. Ongoing recovery includes restoring power to nearly 13,000 households still operating in the dark. Meanwhile, Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya conducted aerial surveys and met with displaced families to review aid distribution.
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