GUWAHATI

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday (July 24, 2026) said 25% of the flood-hit areas of Sivasagar and Charaideo districts remained inaccessible even after almost a week of the unprecedented deluge.

The bulk of the 47 people killed in the floods since mid-June are from these two districts bordering Nagaland.

The Chief Minister said the situation in these and adjoining districts continued to be grim, with close to 11 lakh people affected in more than 2,000 villages of the State and over 41,000 of the flood-displaced people taking shelter in relief camps.

“Assam has weathered floods before, and we will do so again with the support of the Centre and the people. We will do our best to stand with the ones who have lost their loved ones and their belongings, supporting them to rebuild their lives,” he said, adding that his Ministers were on the ground overseeing relief efforts.

The Chief Minister said the situation in Charaideo and Sivasagar districts remained “pathetic and dangerous”.

“On July 18 and 19, Nagaland’s Mon, Mokokchung, and Wokha districts, along with Charaideo, received excessive rainfall, with a departure range of 435-490%. As a result, a large area of Charaideo and Sivasagar got submerged,” he told journalists after visiting the flood-hit areas on Wednesday and Thursday.

“The administration and the State government have not been able to reach 25% of the (flood-hit) areas in Sivasagar and Charaideo. They never received so much rainfall earlier,” he said.

Drone delivery unsuccessful

The Chief Minister took note of the public dissatisfaction with drone delivery of food items to marooned people.

“We used drones to reach the inaccessible areas, but the people did not appreciate it, as food packets got damaged after they were dropped. The affected people believe that the conventional method of carrying relief materials is beneficial,” he said.

He said that the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, and the National Disaster Response Force have been helping the State government in rescue and relief operations. He also said Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed him that the Centre was sending a team to Assam on July 25 to assess the damages.

Lightning strikes

In the 126-member Assembly, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta said floods, storms, and lightning killed 1,525 people in Assam between 2014 and July 16, 2026.

Replying to a question from Asom Gana Parishad MLA Diptimoyee Choudhury, he said the State government has a policy of providing ₹4 lakh to the next of kin of each person who dies due to natural calamities.

To another question from Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed, Mr. Mahanta said lightning strikes have killed the most people in Assam after floods since 2016. Citing official data, he said floods claimed 836 human lives in a decade, followed by lightning strikes (372), storms (175), and landslides (93).

Responding to yet another question from All India United Democratic Front MLA Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal, he said the Brahmaputra and its tributaries have completely eroded 364 villages and partially eroded 797 villages to date. The total land eroded was approximately 696,450 hectares.

“There is no provision to issue an erosion-affected certificate to families whose land has been eroded. The government undertakes the rehabilitation of families affected by riverbank erosion in accordance with prevailing policies and guidelines, subject to the availability of suitable government land and the fulfilment of prescribed eligibility criteria,” he said.

Mr. Mahanta, however, said a 2019 Land Policy allows the allotment of government land to indigenous cultivators rendered landless due to erosion and other natural calamities.

Published - July 24, 2026 10:00 pm IST