The flood situation in Assam worsened on Wednesday, with over 50,000 people affected across four districts, prompting the Centre to assure full support for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction as rescue and relief operations continued in the worst-hit areas.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 48,500 people have been affected by floods in Biswanath, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh and Nalbari districts. Dhemaji remains the worst-hit district, with more than 44,000 people affected, followed by Dibrugarh with nearly 4,000 and Biswanath with around 500 people. The flood-related death toll in the state this year remains at one.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, accompanied by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas in Dhemaji district before reviewing the situation with Assam ministers and senior government officials.
After interacting with affected families and reviewing ongoing relief operations, Chouhan described the scale of destruction as severe, saying houses had been damaged, roads washed away, electricity infrastructure destroyed, paddy fields submerged and livestock lost.
"The crisis is big, and we have seen the devastation. The priority is to restore normalcy and rebuild people's lives," he said.
Assuring the people of Assam of the Centre's full support, Chouhan said the Union government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stood firmly with the state and would extend every possible assistance for relief, recovery and reconstruction.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati later, the Union minister said an interim report on the flood damage would be submitted to the Prime Minister, while a comprehensive assessment would be carried out to determine the extent of losses.
"The damage is huge. Houses were damaged, roads washed away, electric poles uprooted, paddy destroyed and domestic animals were killed. Everything will be surveyed in detail," he said, adding that the Assam government had already begun assessing the damage.
Assam CM, Rijiju discuss flood rehabilitation in Delhi
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday met Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in New Delhi to discuss relief, rehabilitation and recovery efforts in flood-affected parts of the state. Sarma thanked Rijiju for his recent visit to Assam to review the flood situation and said the Centre and the state would intensify rehabilitation measures to rebuild the livelihoods of affected people.
Rijiju praised the Assam government's proactive response to the floods and lauded Sarma's leadership. Additional Chief Secretary K.K. Dwivedi and Assam Bhawan Resident Commissioner Kavitha Padmanabhan were also present at the meeting.
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Chouhan said immediate relief operations were being funded through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), while the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) would provide financial assistance to Assam and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh after detailed assessments.
The ASDMA said authorities are operating 13 relief camps and relief distribution centres across two districts, sheltering 153 displaced people. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and SDRF have rescued 713 people from flooded areas in Dhemaji district.
During the past 24 hours, the state distributed 290.95 quintals of rice, 51.23 quintals of dal, 15.35 quintals of salt and 1,535.49 litres of mustard oil among affected families.
According to the ASDMA, 179 villages remain inundated, while 2,117.34 hectares of agricultural land have been damaged. Floodwaters have also damaged embankments, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure. The Brahmaputra continues to flow above the danger mark at Neamatighat, while more than 82,883 domestic animals and poultry have been affected across the state.
Kharge seeks PM CARES aid for Northeast flood victims
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday urged the Centre to immediately utilise the PM CARES Fund for relief and rehabilitation in flood and landslide-hit northeastern states, while accusing the BJP of failing to fulfil its promise of making the region flood-free.
In a post on X, Kharge expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the disasters that have affected Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim, and said the Congress stood in solidarity with those displaced by the calamities.
The Leader of the Opposition alleged that the BJP's promise to make the Northeast flood-free had remained unfulfilled, claiming that recurring floods reflected inadequate preparedness and the absence of long-term mitigation measures.
Calling for a stronger response from the Centre, Kharge said the situation should not be treated as a routine disaster and urged the government to use the PM CARES Fund to ensure adequate compensation, comprehensive rehabilitation and sustained relief for affected families.
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