The flood situation in Assam deteriorated further on Wednesday, with nearly 50,000 people affected across four districts, as the Centre assured full support for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in the flood-hit state.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 over 44,000 people affected, followed by Dibrugarh with nearly 4,000 people and Biswanath with around 500. The flood-related death toll in the state this year remains at one.Shivraj Singh Chouhan, accompanied by Kiren Rijiju, visited flood-hit areas in Dhemaji district, conducted an aerial survey and reviewed the relief and rescue operations with Assam ministers and senior officials.Describing the damage as extensive, Chouhan said houses had been destroyed, roads washed away, electricity infrastructure damaged, agricultural 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 after interacting with affected families.
The Union minister assured that the Centre, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would extend every possible assistance for relief, recovery and reconstruction. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, he said an interim report on the flood damage would be submitted to the Prime Minister while a detailed assessment is carried out.”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,” Chouhan said, adding that the Assam government had responded promptly and that rescue operations had saved many lives.He said immediate relief measures were being funded through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), while adequate financial support would also be provided through the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for both Assam and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.The ASDMA said authorities are operating 13 relief camps and relief distribution centres across two districts, sheltering 153 displaced people. Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have rescued 713 people from flood-affected areas of 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.The disaster management authority said floodwaters continue to inundate 179 villages and have damaged 2,117.34 hectares of agricultural land. Embankments, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure have also suffered damage in several districts. Meanwhile, the Brahmaputra River is flowing above the danger mark at Neamatighat, while more than 82,883 domestic animals and poultry have been affected by the floods across the state. Chouhan also cautioned that the impact of El Niño could affect Assam later this year, with forecasts indicating that 12 districts may face adverse weather conditions, underlining the need for both immediate relief measures and long-term disaster preparedness.