The death toll in Assam’s devastating floods has risen to 75 after seven fresh fatalities were reported from Sivasagar district. According to the latest report from the Disaster Reporting and Information Management System (DRIMS), issued on Tuesday (July 28), all seven of the newest deaths occurred due to drowning in Sivasagar.
The floods continue to ravage seven districts Sivasagar, Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Kamrup (Metropolitan).
Over 3.3 lakh people affected
The DRIMS report said the deluge has affected 3,32,639 people spread across 622 villages in 21 revenue circles. The agricultural sector has also taken a heavy hit, with 45,341.98 hectares of crop area still submerged.
Among the state’s rivers, the Dhansiri at Numaligarh continues to flow above the danger mark, though no river has yet crossed its highest flood level.
Families of flood victims to get ₹9 lakh compensation
With the casualty count rising, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has rolled out a series of relief measures for flood-affected families. “We will leave no stone unturned to support our people and help them rebuild their lives,” he said in a post on X.
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Under the revised relief package, the state government has done away with the requirement of a post-mortem report for disbursing the ₹4 lakh ex gratia given for flood-related deaths. On top of this, the Chief Minister announced an additional ₹5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, bringing the total compensation for victims’ families to ₹9 lakh.
The government also said families of those who remain missing for more than 30 days will be eligible for the ₹4 lakh ex gratia payout.
Cash support for affected families
To offer immediate relief, the government will hand out ₹15,000 in cash to more than one lakh severely flood-hit families to cover essential household needs. The state also announced that the Orunodoi welfare scheme will resume from August 1, with beneficiaries in Charaideo, Jorhat, Golaghat and Sivasagar set to receive a special instalment of ₹2,500 for the month.
Relief for students
The relief package extends to students affected by the floods as well. Starting August 1, students in the worst-hit districts will receive book grants ranging from ₹1,000 for Higher Secondary students to ₹5,000 for postgraduate students.
The state government will also supply free textbooks, provide assistance for school uniforms, and reissue lost Class X and XII marksheets and certificates free of cost.