Assam recorded 866 flood, landslide deaths in a decade; 2022 worst flood year with 181 fatalities

Assam has recorded 866 deaths due to floods and landslides over the last 10 years, with 2022 emerging as the deadliest flood year, according to data tabled in the Assam Legislative Assembly.

The official figures show that 841 people lost their lives in floods between 2016 and 2025, while 25 others died in landslides during the same period.

The data reveals that flood-related deaths fluctuated significantly over the decade. Assam recorded 64 deaths in 2016, which rose sharply to 160 in 2017 before falling to 45 in 2018. The toll stood at 101 in 2019 and 124 in 2020, before dropping to just 8 deaths in 2021.

However, 2022 witnessed the worst flood disaster of the decade, with 181 fatalities, the highest annual toll during the period. The number of deaths declined to 18 in 2023, rose again to 110 in 2024, and dropped sharply to 25 in 2025, according to the Assembly reply.

District-wise, Morigaon reported some of the highest cumulative flood fatalities over the years, while Cachar, Nagaon, Barpeta, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, Golaghat, Darrang and Kamrup Metro also witnessed significant flood-related deaths in different years.

The report separately details deaths caused by landslides, showing that 25 people died in such incidents between 2016 and 2025.

The highest annual landslide toll was recorded in 2020, when 11 people lost their lives, followed by 7 deaths in 2025. The state reported 2 deaths each in 2016 and 2018, 8 in 2019, 5 in 2021, 1 in 2022, and no landslide fatalities in 2017 and 2024.

Among districts, Kamrup (Metro) accounted for the highest number of landslide deaths over the decade, followed by Karimganj, Cachar, Dima Hasao, Hailakandi and Goalpara, reflecting the vulnerability of urban hill slopes and Barak Valley districts to rain-induced landslides.

The statistics were presented in the Assembly as part of the government's response on disaster-related fatalities, highlighting the continuing impact of floods and landslides across Assam despite ongoing mitigation and disaster management efforts.