14 die in a day as 25% of worst-hit Sivasagar and Charaideo remain inaccessible; CM says drone relief failed to win public confidence
Guwahati, July 25: The cumulative death toll from this year’s floods in Assam has risen to 61, with the latest wave of flooding continuing to batter the state and affecting more than 7.05 lakh people across 12 districts.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority’s (ASDMA) latest flood report, 14 people lost their lives on Friday, while one person remains missing. The latest fatalities were reported from Charaideo (7), Sivasagar (6) and Jorhat (1).
Even after nearly a week of unprecedented flooding, 25 per cent of the affected areas in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts remain inaccessible, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, describing the situation in the two Upper Assam districts as “pathetic and dangerous.”
The Chief Minister also acknowledged public dissatisfaction over the use of drones to deliver relief materials to marooned villages.
“We used drones to reach the inaccessible areas, but the people did not appreciate it, as food packets got damaged after they were dropped. The affected people believe that the conventional method of carrying relief materials is beneficial,” Sarma said.
He, however, asserted that the state would continue to stand by those affected.
“Assam has weathered floods before, and we will do so again with the support of the Centre and the people. We will do our best to stand with the ones who have lost their loved ones and their belongings, supporting them to rebuild their lives,” he said, adding that ministers were on the ground overseeing relief operations.
The ASDMA report said floodwaters have inundated 856 villages across 37 revenue circles, submerging more than 56,600 hectares of cropland. The affected districts are Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Dhemaji, Nagaon, Hojai, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Kamrup (Metro) and Karbi Anglong.
Sivasagar remains the worst-hit district, with nearly 3.49 lakh people affected, followed by Charaideo (1.88 lakh) and Jorhat (1.27 lakh), highlighting the scale of devastation across Upper Assam.
The Central Water Commission reported that the Dikhou, Disang, Dhansiri (South) and Kushiyara rivers were flowing above the danger level on Friday morning, although none had crossed their highest flood level.
Relief operations have been stepped up, with the state opening 363 relief camps and relief distribution centres, sheltering more than 1.15 lakh displaced people. Rescue agencies have deployed 63 boats, evacuating 998 people from inundated areas.
The floods have also inflicted extensive damage on agriculture and livestock. More than 56,600 hectares of farmland remain submerged, while over 3.34 lakh animals have been affected and 17,107 livestock washed away, with Sivasagar accounting for the largest share of the losses.
Authorities continue to distribute food grains, drinking water, tarpaulins, medicines and other essential supplies even as persistent rain hampers relief efforts in several districts. Roads and other public infrastructure have also suffered widespread damage.
