The death toll from this year’s floods in Assam has climbed to 80 after two more people, including a boy, died in Sivasagar district, while the overall flood situation showed signs of improvement with the number of affected people dropping to 2.12 lakh, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).
ASDMA said both fatalities were reported from Sivasagar during the past 24 hours, where the victims drowned in floodwaters. Despite the improvement, floodwaters continue to affect 2,12,400 people across eight districts—Golaghat, Sivasagar, Biswanath, Charaideo, Kamrup (Metropolitan), Jorhat, Dhemaji and Nagaon. The disaster has impacted 21 revenue circles and 437 villages.
Charaideo remains the worst-affected district, with nearly 80,000 people affected, followed by Sivasagar with around 71,000 and Jorhat with more than 40,000. The latest figures mark a decline from over three lakh affected people earlier this week, indicating that flood conditions are gradually easing.
Relief operations continue across the affected regions, with the administration operating 112 relief camps and relief distribution centres in four districts. A total of 75,583 displaced residents are currently taking shelter at these facilities. Rescue and relief efforts are being carried out by the Indian Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Emergency Services, police and civil administration.
Authorities said 17,198.09 hectares of agricultural land remain submerged, while embankments, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure have sustained damage in several districts. The Dhansiri River continues to flow above the danger level at Numaligarh, while nearly 2.97 lakh domestic animals and poultry have also been affected by the floods.
During the past 24 hours, relief agencies distributed 918.55 quintals of rice, 203.9 quintals of pulses, 146.7 quintals of salt and 17,546.4 litres of mustard oil among flood-affected families.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a six-month moratorium on loan repayments for flood-affected borrowers in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts following a special meeting of the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC), attended by representatives of the Reserve Bank of India, NABARD, the State Bank of India and other commercial banks.
Sarma said banks would also be permitted to extend the tenure of loans held by eligible flood-affected borrowers by up to seven years, depending on the nature of the loan. He added that the state government has sought a special financial assistance package from the Centre for relief and rehabilitation. During the visit of the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), Assam requested that the Upper Assam floods be classified as an “atypical, high-intensity, rapid-onset event” to allow greater flexibility in damage assessment and assistance norms.
