Assam floods: Amit Shah orders central team to assess damage, aid relief

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the worsening flood situation in the state and informed him that an inter-ministerial central team will soon visit Assam to assess the damage caused by the deluge.

The announcement comes as this year's floods have claimed at least 41 lives and affected more than 6.5 lakh people across the state.

Sharing the update on X on July 23, Sarma said Shah called him regarding the "unprecedented flood situation in Assam" and conveyed that an inter-ministerial central team would visit the state "to assess the extent of the damage" and help determine the Centre's assistance required for rebuilding livelihoods.

The chief minister also thanked the Union home minister for extending support to the state during the crisis.

"The flash floods, triggered by a cloudburst upstream, have wreaked havoc on the lives of our people," Sarma said, expressing gratitude to Shah for standing with the people of Assam during the difficult period.

In a separate post, Sarma described the scale of destruction as "unimaginable", stating that more than 9 lakh people across over 1,800 villages in 25 districts have been affected. He said 41 people had lost their lives so far, while thousands of livestock had been washed away.

According to the chief minister, cloudbursts upstream, combined with localised rainfall that was "436% above normal", caused flooding in villages that had not witnessed such devastation in recent history.

Highlighting the government's response, Sarma said rescue and evacuation operations were being carried out round the clock by the Indian Air Force, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state agencies using both air and boat services.

He said the state had set up more than 148 relief camps, where nearly 30,000 displaced people are currently taking shelter. Relief teams have also been distributing food, drinking water and other essential supplies, with over 3 lakh kg of rice and other relief materials already delivered to the worst-hit districts.

Sarma added that the Assam government was working with various departments and the Centre to prepare a comprehensive long-term rehabilitation package for affected families. He also said that once the immediate crisis eases, the state would begin a structured dialogue with neighbouring states to establish a stronger coordination mechanism to reduce the impact of upstream cloudbursts and similar disasters in the future.