Assam Flood Crisis Deepens: Over 57,000 Affected, Army and IAF on Standby

Assam's flood emergency escalated as relentless monsoon rains inundated more villages, pushing the number of affected people beyond 57,000 and prompting the state government to place the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) on standby for possible rescue and evacuation operations.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person died in Sivasagar, taking this year's flood-related death toll to five. More than 57,100 people have been affected across Charaideo, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Udalguri districts. Charaideo remains the worst hit with nearly 24,000 affected people, followed by Dhemaji with around 22,000 and Dibrugarh with over 4,000. The sharp increase in the number of affected residents has been driven by continuous heavy rainfall across Upper Assam and adjoining catchment areas.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government has requested the Army and IAF to remain on standby as flood conditions continue to worsen in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat. He also deputed ministers Ajanta Neog, Bimal Borah, Keshab Mahanta and Susanta Borgohain to supervise rescue and relief operations. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has rescued 10 people, while the Army has launched Operation Jal Rahat to strengthen disaster response alongside the civil administration.

The ASDMA, the state's nodal disaster management agency, is operating 14 relief camps and relief distribution centres, sheltering 440 displaced people. Authorities distributed 58.17 quintals of rice, 10.89 quintals of dal, 3.26 quintals of salt and 326.88 litres of mustard oil among affected families during the last 24 hours.

Floodwaters have submerged 298 villages, damaged 3,874.84 hectares of agricultural land, and affected over 37,558 livestock and poultry, posing a serious threat to the ongoing kharif cropping season. Roads, bridges and embankments have also suffered extensive damage, while the Burhidihing River continues to flow above the danger mark at Chenimari in Dibrugarh.

Assam, where nearly 40 per cent of the state's geographical area falls within the Brahmaputra floodplain, remains one of India's most flood-prone states. Experts attribute the recurring floods to intense monsoon rainfall, silt deposition, riverbank erosion and climate-driven weather extremes, underscoring the need for stronger embankments, improved flood forecasting, wetland restoration and integrated river basin management to reduce annual flood losses.