Guwahati, India: The death toll from severe flooding in India’s northeastern state of Assam has risen to 100 after two more fatalities were reported overnight, while authorities continue relief and recovery operations across affected areas.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority said several rivers remain above danger levels, raising the risk of fresh flooding in vulnerable districts.
Days of heavy monsoon rainfall have caused major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, to overflow, inundating communities, damaging infrastructure and disrupting livelihoods across the state.
One of Asia’s largest rivers, the Brahmaputra originates in China’s Tibet region and flows approximately 900 kilometres through Assam. Floodwaters have submerged villages, swept away homes and forced nearly 300,000 people into government-run relief camps since the crisis began.
Hundreds of thousands affected
The floods, which started last month, have affected more than 700,000 people, submerging large areas of farmland and damaging roads and other public infrastructure.
Although water levels have begun to recede in some areas and many residents have returned home, authorities said at least 49,000 people remain accommodated in 125 relief camps and relief distribution centres.
Emergency teams continue to assess damage and identify the needs of affected communities.
Livestock losses add to hardship
The floods have also caused significant livestock losses, dealing another blow to rural communities that depend heavily on agriculture and animal husbandry.
As floodwaters recede, many returning residents are finding their homes covered in thick layers of silt, complicating clean-up and recovery efforts.
Assam Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Pijush Hazarika said officials had been instructed to complete damage assessments as quickly as possible to facilitate rehabilitation support.
“We have directed officials to complete damage assessment as soon as possible so the government could provide financial assistance for their rehabilitation,” Hazarika said following a review meeting.
He added that approximately 500,000 affected people had already received interim financial assistance.
Monsoon flooding a recurring challenge
Assam experiences severe flooding almost every year during the monsoon season, as swollen rivers overflow and inundate low-lying areas.
Climate experts have warned that human-induced climate change is intensifying monsoon patterns across South Asia. Rainfall is increasingly arriving in short, intense bursts that cause severe flooding, often followed by prolonged dry periods.
Authorities remain on alert as weather conditions continue to be monitored across the region.