The toll in flood-related incidents in Assam rose to 75 on Tuesday after seven more deaths were reported in Sivasagar district, the state disaster management authority said.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced that the ex gratia payment for the families of those killed in the floods had been increased to Rs 9 lakh from Rs 4 lakh. An additional Rs 5 lakh will be provided from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

Sarma also said that families would not need to submit a post-mortem report to claim the compensation, PTI reported. Instead, a certificate issued by the concerned circle officer would suffice.

In cases where a person remains missing and the body is not recovered within a month, the government will provide Rs 9 lakh in ex gratia assistance to the family.

Charaideo was the worst-affected district, with 1.4 lakh persons affected, followed by Sivasagar with 97,074 and Jorhat with 57,371.

About 45,342 hectares of cropland has been submerged, while 622 villages continued to be affected by the floods.

The Dhansiri river continues to flow above the danger level in Numaligarh district, the authorities said.

A total of 81 relief camps are currently operational, sheltering 32,477 displaced people. Additionally, 34 relief distribution centres are functioning across the affected areas.

Written by Anamika Pathak. Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.

We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in.