GUWAHATI, July 22: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday visited flood-affected areas of Sonari in Charaideo district to assess the ground situation as devastating floods continued to affect thousands of people across Upper Assam.
During the visit, the Chief Minister inspected inundated villages, interacted with flood-affected families staying in relief camps and reviewed rescue and relief operations with district officials. He also took stock of the challenges faced by rescue teams in reaching stranded residents in remote areas.
Addressing the media, Sarma described the ongoing floods as an “unprecedented” disaster, saying the scale of destruction was far greater than initially anticipated.
“This is an unprecedented situation. A large number of people have taken shelter in relief camps, while many others remain stranded by the floodwaters. There have been several deaths, and more bodies are still being recovered,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Army and the state government were jointly conducting rescue and relief operations in the affected districts.
Highlighting the Centre’s role in disaster management, Sarma said the state’s relief fund is fully financed by the Union government.
“The entire amount in the state government’s relief fund is provided by the Central Government. In fact, 100 per cent of the funds required for flood relief and rescue operations are provided by the Centre,” he said, adding that the state would seek additional financial assistance from the Prime Minister if required.
Expressing concern over the worsening situation, the Chief Minister said many people remained stranded in flood-hit areas and that the extent of the damage was much greater than expected.
According to the latest Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) bulletin, 21 more people died in the past 24 hours, taking the overall flood-related death toll to 31. More than 5.64 lakh people have been affected across 16 districts, while over 1.14 lakh displaced residents are staying in relief camps and relief distribution centres. Rescue operations by the NDRF, SDRF, the armed forces, Assam Police and district administrations are continuing in the worst-affected areas.
