Nagaland's 500 per cent excess rain swamped Upper Assam in hours: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 24 said the flood situation in Upper Assam remains "very grim", warning that the death toll is likely to rise as nearly 20-25 per cent of the worst-affected areas are still beyond the reach of rescue teams.

Addressing the media, Sarma said unprecedented rainfall in Assam and neighbouring Nagaland triggered flash floods that devastated Sivasagar and Charaideo districts—regions that have historically remained outside the state's regular flood zone.

He said Mon, Mokokchung and Wokha districts of Nagaland, along with Charaideo district in Assam, received 435-493 per cent excess rainfall between July 18 and 19.

"The situation is very pathetic and dangerous. These districts have never witnessed such rainfall before. Normally, they remain unaffected by floods, but this time they suffered unprecedented devastation," the Chief Minister said.

According to Sarma, Charaideo has reported 10 deaths while Sivasagar has recorded 21 fatalities, taking the combined toll in the two districts to 31. Seven people remain officially missing, though he cautioned that the actual number could be higher as many villages are still cut off.

"As of now, seven persons are reported missing, but many people are still unable to report to us because communication has been disrupted. The death toll and missing figures will only increase," he said.

Nearly seven lakh people have been affected across the two districts, with large areas still submerged.

The Chief Minister said the government, aided by the Army, Indian Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state agencies, has been carrying out round-the-clock rescue and relief operations. Two ministers have been camping in the affected districts, while Revenue Minister Keshab Mahanta has also been deputed to oversee relief efforts.

Despite these efforts, Sarma admitted that around 20 per cent of Charaideo district remains inaccessible due to washed-away roads and disrupted connectivity.

"We are continuing our efforts to reach every affected person, but many places remain cut off," he said.

Sarma also confirmed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to him and informed him that an inter-ministerial Central team will visit Assam on July 25 to assess the flood damage.

Describing the disaster as unlike conventional floods caused by overflowing rivers, the Chief Minister said the devastation unfolded within hours after torrential rainfall.

"Usually, we can anticipate floods as rivers gradually rise. But this time, rain began around 3 pm on July 18, and by 7 pm, widespread devastation had already occurred," he said.

On whether the event could technically be classified as a cloudburst, Sarma said the matter was for experts to determine but maintained that, from an administrative perspective, rainfall of nearly 500 per cent above normal had the same impact.

"Whether it falls under the scientific definition of a cloudburst is for academicians to decide. For us, rainfall of nearly 500 per cent above normal is equivalent to a cloudburst because it submerged entire districts within hours," he said.

Responding to questions on drone-based relief distribution, Sarma said the technology had limited utility in the current situation, as accurately dropping relief material in flooded areas remained difficult.

"Traditional methods of carrying relief are proving more effective than drones," he noted.

The Chief Minister also said electricity supply has been restored in many areas, reducing the number of affected households from around 1.6 lakh to nearly 40,000. However, power continues to remain disconnected in several locations where transformers remain submerged to prevent electrocution.

He added that while the state currently has adequate funds for relief and rehabilitation, the scale of financial assistance required from the Centre will become clear only after a comprehensive damage assessment is completed by the visiting Central team.