Assam floods: At least 47 dead as cut-off villages hamper rescue; toll likely to climb

Guwahati: More than 10.6 lakh people have been affected by floods across Assam, with large parts of the state still submerged and several areas remaining inaccessible, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday. He warned that the death toll could rise as rescue teams continue to struggle to reach stranded communities.

The Chief Minister said the state government was working round the clock to provide relief and rehabilitation, ensuring a steady supply of food, drinking water, medicines and other essentials to affected families.

In a post on X, Sarma said the floods had caused extensive damage to lives and property and that a high-level review meeting would be held to assess the situation and speed up relief measures.

According to the latest flood bulletin released by the Chief Minister, 10,63,216 people have been affected across 25 districts between April 29 and July 23. The floods have impacted 77 revenue circles and 2,023 villages.

Authorities have set up 162 relief camps, where 41,264 people are staying, along with 1,072 relief distribution centres to assist those affected.

The floods have claimed 47 lives so far. Sivasagar has recorded the highest number of deaths at 21, followed by Charaideo (10), Jorhat (8), Dhemaji (3), Karbi Anglong (2), Golaghat (2) and Sonitpur (1). Eight people remain missing, including six from Sivasagar and one each from Dhemaji and Charaideo.

The disaster has also damaged homes across the state, with 401 houses completely destroyed and another 1,856 partially damaged. Officials said 28,912 people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas as rescue operations continue.

 

BJP MLA says relief yet to reach 30% of Nazira

The scale of the challenge became evident during a virtual review meeting chaired by Sarma, where BJP MLA Mayur Borgohain described the administration's difficulties in delivering aid to flood-hit areas of Nazira in Sivasagar district.

Borgohain said around 270 wards in his constituency had been affected, but relief teams had managed to reach only about 70 per cent of the affected locations.

"The bigger issue is that we have been able to reach only 70 per cent of places in Nazira and 30 per cent of areas are still unreachable," he said.

He attributed the delay to roads buried under thick layers of mud, which have prevented even JCBs and tractors from reaching some villages. The worst-hit areas, including panchayats in Kamal Chapori, remain cut off.

"There is no means to reach the victims, and we have failed to even provide drinking water. We will not be able to reach them even tomorrow," Borgohain said.

When Sarma asked whether relief had been airdropped, the MLA said helicopters had been used but supplies were inadequate.

"We did airdrop. But if there are 200 families, only 10-20 packets are airdropped. People have complained about this. This has damaged the image of the government," he said.

He added that falling water levels had created a new challenge, as boats could no longer access some remote areas.

Asked about possible alternatives, Borgohain admitted: "We don't know. We have not been able to find any option as of now."

Charaideo Deputy Commissioner Neha Yadav said efforts were continuing to reach the remaining stranded residents and expressed hope that the inaccessible areas would be covered by Friday night.

Following the meeting, the Chief Minister's Office said Sarma had directed district administrations to prioritise rescue operations in the cut-off areas of Charaideo and Sivasagar, particularly Nazira subdivision.

Officials were instructed to seek assistance from Indian Air Force helicopters wherever required, prepare micro-level plans to ensure timely delivery of food, clear mud-clogged roads to restore connectivity and strengthen mobile medical services in flood-affected areas.

Chief Minister warns death toll may increase

Speaking at a press conference later in the day, Sarma cautioned that the official casualty figures were likely to rise as communication remained disrupted in several affected areas.

"In Charaideo and Sivasagar district missing person number is seven; this is what has been reported. But many people are not in a position to report us; we are disconnected from them. So I think the death toll and missing person number will increase only. What we have stated today, the number will be bigger. It will go up," he said.

He said Charaideo had three affected revenue circles, 152 villages and 1,33,159 affected people, with 10 deaths and one person still missing.

In Sivasagar, five revenue circles and 333 villages have been affected, impacting around 5.30 lakh people. The district has recorded 21 deaths, while six people remain missing.

Sarma said relief materials had reached all flood-affected villages in Charaideo. However, authorities were still unable to access around 30 per cent of the affected areas in Nazira because roads remained blocked by thick deposits of mud.

"In Sivasagar assembly constituency, we are yet to reach 20 per cent of affected areas. The situation is still grim. Cabinet ministers Bimal Borah and Sushanta Borgohain are camping there and Minister Keshab Mahanta will go there today evening," he said.

The Chief Minister said ministers handling the Agriculture, Veterinary and Health departments had been asked to visit Charaideo, Sivasagar, Golaghat and Jorhat after three days to assess damage and support relief efforts.

Heavy rainfall worsened flood crisis

Sarma attributed the severity of the floods to exceptionally heavy rainfall in Assam and neighbouring Nagaland.

He said Nagaland recorded 121 per cent above-normal rainfall overall between July 18 and 20, while Mokokchung received 493 per cent more rainfall than usual. Wokha and Mon districts also recorded rainfall well above normal.

Within Assam, Charaideo received 436 per cent above-normal rainfall during the same period, while Sivasagar recorded 134 per cent excess rainfall.

The Chief Minister said the normal rainfall during the period was 31.7 mm, but actual rainfall reached 170 mm. Mokokchung recorded 238.9 mm of rainfall, while Mon received 51.3 mm.

On financial assistance, Sarma said Assam had received ₹4,000 crore under the 16th Finance Commission period and currently had around ₹800 crore available. Immediate relief expenditure was expected to remain between ₹100 crore and ₹150 crore, after which the government would assess the total damage and submit a memorandum seeking additional funds from the Centre.

Agencies