"Situation Extremely Serious": Himanta Sarma Visits Assam Flood-Hit Districts

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday visited the flood-hit districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat to assess the situation, review rescue operations and meet families displaced by the floods.The Chief Minister inspected a relief camp at Dalbagan Higher Secondary School in Nazira, where hundreds of people have taken shelter. He reviewed the availability of food, drinking water, healthcare and sanitation, interacted with displaced families and directed officials to ensure that relief reaches every affected household."We will stand with every flood-affected family until this crisis is over. Relief camps must have adequate food, safe drinking water, healthcare and every essential facility. No family should be left without assistance," Sarma said.Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Sarma described the flood situation in Upper Assam as "extremely serious", attributing it to a cloudburst in Nagaland's Mon district followed by continuous heavy rainfall."Because of the cloudburst in Mon district of Nagaland and the heavy rainfall that followed, especially in Charaideo, Sivasagar and Jorhat, several areas have been flooded. Many of these places have never witnessed flooding of this scale before," he said.The Chief Minister said rescue operations remain challenging as several villages continue to be cut off by floodwaters."This is a sudden flood. In several places, even the Army, NDRF and SDRF have not been able to reach. Many patients are still stranded, and thousands of families remain surrounded by water," he said.Sarma said the government was working round the clock but cautioned that the full extent of the devastation would become clear only after floodwaters recede."The casualty figure is already high, and it may take at least a week to assess the total loss of lives and property. In some affected areas, we have not even been able to deliver bottled drinking water. The situation is extremely serious, and it is a matter of great concern for us," he said.The Chief Minister also said rescue teams were still trying to reach several inaccessible villages, adding that the number of missing persons and casualties could change as more areas become accessible. (If you retain the "more than 100 missing" figure, attribute it directly here and reconcile it with the official bulletin.)According to the government bulletin covering the period from April 29 to July 21, floods have affected 25 districts, 74 revenue circles and nearly 1,700 villages, impacting 7,27,506 people across Assam.Official figures show that 95 relief camps are sheltering 18,574 displaced people, while 469 relief distribution centres are operational.The floods have so far claimed 31 lives, while one person has died due to urban flooding. The bulletin also records three officially missing persons, 401 houses completely damaged, 1,848 partially damaged houses, and the loss of 185 livestock.During the review, Sarma directed Deputy Commissioners and officials across departments to intensify rescue and relief operations and ensure assistance reaches every stranded family without delay.Personnel from the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), district administrations, local volunteers and civil society organisations continue rescue operations across the worst-hit districts. However, with many villages still submerged and road connectivity severely disrupted, officials say it will take time to fully assess the damage.