As Assam’s flood situation continued to worsen, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal announced a relief package of up to Rs 1 crore, including an immediate allocation of Rs 50 lakh through the Ajmal Foundation for people affected by the disaster.
In a statement issued on July 22, Ajmal expressed concern over the deteriorating flood situation across the state, where several rivers and tributaries were flowing above the danger mark, triggering widespread flooding and displacement.
Ajmal was scheduled to visit the flood-affected districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat on Wednesday to assess the situation and oversee relief operations.
The Ajmal Foundation has set aside Rs 50 lakh for immediate relief measures. Ajmal said the overall assistance could be increased to Rs 2 crore depending on the extent of the damage and the evolving situation. He also assured that the foundation would provide all possible assistance to affected families irrespective of their political affiliation.
Volunteers of the Ajmal Foundation have already started distributing cooked food, dry rations and other essential relief materials in several flood-hit areas of Upper Assam, according to the statement.
The announcement came as the flood situation remained critical across the state. According to the latest report released by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 21 more people had died in the previous 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 31.
Sivasagar recorded the highest number of fresh fatalities with 13 deaths, followed by Charaideo with five, Golaghat with two and Jorhat with one.
Floodwaters have affected more than 5.64 lakh people across 16 districts, including Sivasagar, Jorhat, Charaideo, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Udalguri, Hojai, Nagaon, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Tinsukia and Karbi Anglong.
ASDMA said 872 villages across 44 revenue circles had been inundated, while 24,210 hectares of agricultural land remained submerged, causing extensive damage to crops and livelihoods.
Sivasagar remained the worst-affected district, with more than 3.59 lakh people affected. Jorhat reported 87,662 affected residents, followed by Charaideo with 72,646, Dibrugarh with 18,615 and Golaghat with 16,799.
