Guwahati: The Assam government on Monday commenced the disbursal of ₹15,000 in interim financial assistance to families affected by the recent floods in Upper Assam, providing immediate relief to thousands of households struggling to recover from the disaster.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is on a four-day tour of the worst-affected districts, launched the first phase of the financial assistance programme from the Chief Minister’s Office in Dibrugarh before travelling to Sivasagar to review ongoing relief and rehabilitation measures.
Speaking to reporters, Sarma said 62,696 flood-affected families across four districts have already received the first instalment directly into their bank accounts. Based on assessments submitted by district administrations, the number of eligible beneficiaries is expected to rise to nearly 75,000.
He said the government is prepared to extend the assistance to an additional 15,000 families as soon as the Deputy Commissioners submit the remaining beneficiaries’ bank account details.
According to official figures, the first round of financial assistance has been credited to 35,298 families in Sivasagar, 19,883 in Charaideo, 4,922 in Jorhat, and 2,593 in Golaghat.
Later in the day, the Chief Minister visited Nepali Khuti village in Sivasagar district, one of the areas severely affected by the floods, where he interacted with residents and reviewed relief and rehabilitation efforts. He also assessed the extent of damage caused by the floods and assured affected families of the government’s continued support during the recovery process.
Meanwhile, the flood-related death toll in Upper Assam increased to 86 after four more deaths were reported from Sivasagar on Monday.
Despite the latest casualties, the overall flood situation has continued to improve. Official data shows that the number of affected people has declined to around 1.36 lakh, as floodwaters have receded in several parts of the region over the past few days.
District administrations are currently operating 54 relief camps and relief distribution centres, providing shelter and essential supplies to 13,771 displaced people. However, the Dhansiri River remains above the danger level at Numaligarh, while nearly 15,422 hectares of agricultural land continue to remain under water.
The flood situation has eased significantly compared to Saturday, when nearly 1.8 lakh people across five districts were affected. Sivasagar remained the worst-hit district, followed by Charaideo and Jorhat, according to official data.
