Gaurav Gogoi questions Assam flood alert system after Centre confirms ISRO's near real-time monitoring

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has questioned the effectiveness of Assam's flood warning and disaster response mechanism after the Centre informed Parliament that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) provides near real-time flood monitoring for the Brahmaputra basin, with flood inundation maps reaching the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) within five to six hours of satellite data acquisition.

In a written reply to an unstarred question raised by Gogoi in the Lok Sabha on August 5, the Department of Space said ISRO disseminates satellite-based flood inundation maps and value-added products to disaster management authorities within 5–6 hours of acquiring satellite data.

The Centre further stated that ISRO provides Near Real-Time (NRT) satellite-based flood monitoring for the Brahmaputra basin. During the 2025 monsoon season, 45 flood inundation maps and value-added products were supplied to ASDMA, while 33 such products had been provided during the 2026 monsoon season up to July 28.

According to the reply, the flood maps are generated using data from EOS-04 (RISAT-1A), Resourcesat-2/2A, Cartosat-2E and Cartosat-3 satellites. The products are disseminated through the National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM), the Bhuvan platform, and directly to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.

The government also informed Parliament that ISRO has introduced several measures to improve the timeliness and district-level granularity of flood information. These include semi-automated flood mapping workflows, district-level flood reports and high-resolution satellite imagery for damage assessment, subject to the availability of cloud-free satellite data.

Reacting to the government's response, Gogoi questioned why the availability of near real-time flood monitoring failed to translate into timely warnings for districts hit by flash floods.

"The Government has confirmed, in response to my question, that ISRO provides near-real-time flood monitoring for the Brahmaputra basin, with flood data reaching ASDMA within 5–6 hours. Yet, the District Commissioner of Sivasagar has stated that the district had barely three hours to respond to the flash floods of July 19, with no prior warning issued. The Government must explain why available flood monitoring data did not result in timely alerts and preparedness on the ground," Gogoi said in a post on X.

The Congress MP's remarks refer to the devastating flash floods that struck parts of Upper Assam on July 19, causing extensive damage in districts including Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat and Charaideo.