Assam Sends Relief to Flood-Stricken Regions as Forecasters Warn of More Rain

Guwahati: The Assam BJP dispatched Rs 16 crore in flood relief supplies to Upper Assam on July 29. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma flagged off the convoy from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan in Guwahati. The cargo holds 1.8 lakh mekhela chadors, 1.8 lakh children’s T-shirts, and 1.5 lakh mosquito nets for families in Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, and Golaghat. These supplies came from voluntary donations by party workers.

The floods, sparked by heavy rain in Nagaland on July 19, killed 78 people. Roughly 11 lakh residents across 2,101 villages suffered losses. Sarma announced that next of kin for those deceased will receive Rs 9 lakh total, combining government ex gratia and the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. He told the crowd, "The floods in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat had pushed thousands of families into severe hardship and created uncertainty about their immediate future."

Recovery efforts remain slow. Nearly 13,000 households still lack electricity 11 days after the deluge. APDCL reports power outages in Gaurisagar, Sivasagar, Nazira, Amguri, and Demow. While power returned to 75 per cent of homes, 12,756 consumers wait for the grid to stabilize. The government is also fast-tracking Orunodoi payments for August 1, alongside providing cash assistance for students ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000.

New threats loom. The India Meteorological Department expects heavy rainfall across Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland from July 30 to August 1. An orange alert is active for Tinsukia, alongside Mon, Mokokchung, and Wokha in Nagaland. Officials warn that runoff from Arunachal districts like Papumpare could dump up to 20 cm of rain, triggering new landslides and urban flooding. The state disaster management authority advised residents in low-lying areas to stay alert.