Guwahati: (Rajeev Sharma) Assam’s flood emergency has claimed 75 lives, with seven additional deaths reported from Sivasagar district, even as the overall flood situation has shown signs of improvement. In response, the state government has announced enhanced compensation, financial aid for affected families, and special assistance for students whose education has been disrupted.
Data released by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) shows that the number of people affected by the floods has declined to nearly 3.32 lakh across seven districts, compared to 4.45 lakh a day earlier. However, large areas remain submerged, and thousands of residents continue to stay in relief camps.
The districts of Charaideo, Sivasagar, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon, Sonitpur, and Kamrup Metropolitan continue to bear the brunt of the flooding, with over 620 villages still under water. Charaideo remains the worst-affected district, followed by Sivasagar and Jorhat.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that families of those who lost their lives in the floods will now receive ₹9 lakh as compensation. The revised assistance includes the existing ₹4 lakh ex gratia and an additional ₹5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
The state has also simplified the process for claiming compensation. Instead of requiring a post-mortem report, families will now be able to submit a certificate issued by the concerned Circle Officer. The same financial support will also be extended to families of missing persons if the bodies are not recovered within a month.
To support those hit hardest by the disaster, the government has approved an interim assistance of ₹15,000 for around one lakh severely affected households in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat. The amount will be credited directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
Additional relief has also been announced under the Orunodoi welfare scheme. Beneficiaries in the four worst-hit districts will receive ₹2,500 for August, double the usual monthly assistance.
Recognising the disruption caused to education, the government has introduced financial aid for students. Higher secondary students will receive ₹1,000, undergraduate students ₹3,000, and postgraduate students ₹5,000 to purchase books and study materials. Charges for issuing duplicate educational certificates have also been waived.
Rescue and relief operations are continuing with the support of the Army, Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Emergency Services, and local volunteers. More than 32,000 displaced people are currently staying in 81 relief camps, while relief distribution centres continue to provide essential supplies.
Floodwaters have damaged homes, public infrastructure and agricultural land, with over 45,000 hectares of crops still inundated. The Dhansiri (South) River remains above the danger mark in parts of Golaghat, raising concerns over further flooding if rainfall continues.
The Chief Minister said a detailed assessment of losses to houses, crops, fisheries and livestock will begin on August 3, after which compensation will be provided to eligible families. Although water levels have started to recede in some areas, authorities say restoring normal life will take time as thousands of people continue to recover from the impact of the floods.
