Assam govt Announces Rs 4 Lakh Ex Gratia For Flood Victims' Families As Death toll Rises to 31

The Assam government has announced an ex gratia of ₹4 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives in the ongoing floods, as the death toll climbed to 31 and nearly 5.65 lakh people remain affected across 12 districts. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who visited flood-hit areas in Sivasagar and Charaideo on Wednesday, said the government would stand by affected families during relief, rehabilitation and the rebuilding of livelihoods."There has been extensive damage caused by the floods. I have assured the affected families that they are not alone in this crisis. Our government is standing with them in every step of rehabilitation and rebuilding of livelihoods," Sarma said. The Chief Minister admitted that relief teams have been unable

to reach several inundated villages due to disrupted road connectivity but said efforts would intensify as floodwaters recede. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 21 people died in the last 24 hours, taking this year's flood toll to 31. The latest fatalities include 13 in Sivasagar, five in Charaideo, two in Golaghat and one in Jorhat.More than 5.64 lakh people have been affected across Biswanath, Charaideo, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, Sivasagar and Tinsukia. Sivasagar remains the worst-hit district with nearly 3.6 lakh affected, followed by Jorhat (88,000) and Charaideo (72,500). During his visit to a relief camp in Charaideo, Sarma assured displaced families that seriously ill and immobile people would be shifted to hospitals. He also announced that the government would help residents obtain replacement copies of documents lost in the floods.The flood situation has worsened rapidly since Monday night. ASDMA said 273 relief camps and relief distribution centres are operating across 10 districts, sheltering over 12,280 displaced people. Rescue teams from the Army, NDRF, SDRF, Fire and Emergency Services, police and civil administration have rescued more than 6,000 people from Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat and Sivasagar. In the last 24 hours, authorities distributed over 5,011 quintals of rice, 956 quintals of dal, 265 quintals of salt and more than 20,115 litres of mustard oil among affected families.The floods have submerged 872 villages, damaged over 24,210 hectares of cropland, affected more than 1.85 lakh livestock and poultry, and caused widespread damage to embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Assam, forecasting thunderstorms and heavy rainfall at isolated places over the next four days. The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Neamatighat, while the Dikhou and Disang rivers have crossed the highest flood level, raising concerns over the evolving flood situation.