Assam Floods: Himanta Sarma Begins ₹75,000 Relief Payouts as Death Toll Climbs to 85

The Assam government on Monday started disbursing the first tranche of interim relief worth around ₹75,000 per household to families affected by the recent floods in Upper Assam, even as the death toll rose to 85 after three more people lost their lives in Sivasagar.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma released the relief from Dibrugarh before continuing his visit to the worst-hit districts to review relief and rehabilitation work and interact with affected residents.

Officials said families whose houses were severely damaged in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts will receive ₹15,000 for immediate house repairs as part of the first tranche. Along with other financial assistance included in the package, the total interim relief amounts to around ₹75,000 per household.

The relief distribution comes as the flood situation, though gradually improving, continues to affect large parts of Upper Assam. According to officials, three more flood-related deaths were reported from Sivasagar on Sunday, taking the overall toll in the current wave of floods to 85.

While the number of affected people has declined from nearly 1.8 lakh on Saturday to 1,36,200, Sivasagar remains the worst-hit district with more than 55,000 affected residents. Charaideo has around 40,000 affected people, followed by Jorhat with over 22,000. Floodwaters continue to impact Charaideo, Dhemaji, Golaghat, Jorhat and Sivasagar districts.

The state administration is operating 54 relief camps and relief distribution centres, currently sheltering 13,771 people displaced by the floods.

Meanwhile, 15,422 hectares of agricultural land remain submerged, posing a major setback to farmers. The Dhansiri River continues to flow above the danger level at Numaligarh in Golaghat district, keeping authorities on alert.

Sarma is also scheduled to visit parts of Sivasagar during the day to oversee ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts and assess the flood situation on the ground. With over 1.36 lakh people still affected across five districts, the state government has intensified relief distribution while rescue, rehabilitation and damage assessment work continues in the flood-hit regions.