'Damage far greater than anticipated': Himanta Biswa Sarma on worsening Assam flood crisis

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 22 visited the flood-affected areas of Sonari in Charaideo district to assess the ground situation as devastating floods continued to affect thousands of residents across Upper Assam.

 

During his visit, the chief minister inspected inundated villages, interacted with flood-affected families staying in relief camps and reviewed the ongoing rescue and relief operations with district officials. He also took stock of the challenges being faced by rescue teams in reaching stranded people in remote areas.

 

Addressing the media, Sarma described the current flood crisis as an "unprecedented" disaster, saying the scale of destruction was far beyond initial expectations.

 

"This is an unprecedented situation. A large number of people have taken shelter in relief camps, while many others remain stranded by the floodwaters. There have been several deaths, and more bodies are still being recovered," Sarma said.

 

He said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Army and the state government were jointly carrying out rescue and relief operations across the affected districts.

 

The chief minister also highlighted the Centre's financial support for disaster management, stating that the state government's relief fund is entirely financed by the Union government.

 

"The entire amount in the state government's relief fund is provided by the Central Government. In fact, 100 per cent of the funds required for flood relief and rescue operations are provided by the Centre," he said.

 

Sarma said the Centre allocates a fixed amount to the state in advance and additional financial assistance can be sought if required.

 

"If necessary, we will also approach the Prime Minister for more funds," he added.

 

Expressing concern over the evolving situation, the chief minister said many people continue to remain trapped in flood-hit areas.

 

"The extent of the damage is far greater than we had anticipated," he said.

 

The chief minister's remarks came as the flood situation in Assam deteriorated further. According to the latest bulletin issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 21 more people lost their lives in the past 24 hours, taking the overall flood-related death toll to 31.

 

The floods have affected more than 5.64 lakh people across 16 districts, with over 1.14 lakh people currently staying in relief camps and relief distribution centres. Rescue operations by the NDRF, SDRF, the armed forces, Assam Police and district administrations are continuing in the worst-affected areas.