Assam floods: CM Himanta visits Golaghat, 25,791 affected as Centre sends team
Synopsis
With 25,791 people displaced in Golaghat alone, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma personally inspected relief camps on 23 July and confirmed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has called to review the crisis — and that a central inter-ministerial team will soon arrive to assess damage and unlock federal reconstruction funds.
Key Takeaways
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma visited flood-hit Golaghat district on 23 July , inspecting relief camps and reviewing rescue operations.
Official figures show 25,791 people have been affected by floods in Golaghat district alone.
Two relief camps visited: Bhaskar Senior Basic School, Kamarbandha (178 persons) and Numaligarh Higher Secondary School (182 persons, including many children).
Floods have damaged agricultural fields, affected livestock, and disrupted livelihoods across the district.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah called Sarma to review the situation; an inter-ministerial central team will visit Assam soon for a comprehensive damage assessment.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday, 23 July toured flood-hit areas of Golaghat district, inspecting relief camps and assuring displaced families that the state government would ensure timely delivery of all essential assistance. The visit comes as official figures place the number of flood-affected people in Golaghat alone at 25,791.
Relief Camps Visited
Sarma inspected two relief camps — one at Bhaskar Senior Basic School, Kamarbandha, sheltering 178 displaced persons, and another at Numaligarh Higher Secondary School, housing 182 people, including a large number of children. At the Kamarbandha camp, the Chief Minister interacted directly with residents to gauge their daily needs and directed district administration officials to treat all essential requirements as a priority. At the Numaligarh camp, he spent time speaking with children and enquiring about their well-being.
Scale of Damage and Hardship
Speaking to reporters after the inspections, Sarma said the floods had inflicted widespread hardship across the district, damaging agricultural fields, affecting livestock, and disrupting the livelihoods of thousands of families. He said the state government was making every effort to deliver adequate relief and rehabilitation support to all those impacted. The floods have compounded an already difficult monsoon season for Assam, a state that faces recurring annual inundation along the Brahmaputra basin and its tributaries.
Centre Steps In: Inter-Ministerial Team to Assess Damage
In a significant development, Sarma disclosed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had telephoned him to review the flood situation in the state. According to the Chief Minister, Shah informed him that an inter-ministerial central team would soon visit Assam to carry out a comprehensive assessment of flood-related damage and evaluate the quantum of assistance required from the Centre for relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. This signals that the Union government is preparing to extend formal financial support beyond the state's own resources.
What Happens Next
The Assam government is continuing to monitor the flood situation closely while intensifying relief operations across affected districts. The arrival of the inter-ministerial team is expected to accelerate the process of damage quantification, which is a prerequisite for unlocking funds from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). With the monsoon season still far from over, authorities are bracing for the possibility of further inundation in low-lying areas of the state.
Point of View
Visibility matters. The more consequential detail is Amit Shah's phone call and the impending inter-ministerial team: that mechanism is the gateway to NDRF funds, and its speed will determine how quickly reconstruction moves. Assam has repeatedly struggled to translate central damage assessments into timely disbursements, and with the monsoon season still active, the damage count in Golaghat is unlikely to be the final one. Whether the Centre's team arrives before or after the next flood wave will say a great deal about the federal disaster-response architecture's actual responsiveness.
NationPress
23 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have been affected by floods in Golaghat district, Assam?
According to official figures, 25,791 people in Golaghat district have been affected by the recent floods. The district has seen displacement of families across multiple areas, with relief camps set up at local schools.
Which relief camps did Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma visit on 23 July?
Sarma visited two camps — Bhaskar Senior Basic School in Kamarbandha , sheltering 178 people, and Numaligarh Higher Secondary School , housing 182 people including many children. He interacted with residents and directed officials to address essential needs on priority.
What did Union Home Minister Amit Shah say about the Assam floods?
According to Chief Minister Sarma, Amit Shah telephoned him to review the flood situation. Shah informed Sarma that an inter-ministerial central team would soon visit Assam to assess flood-related damage and determine the support required from the Centre for relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.
What kind of damage have the Assam floods caused?
The floods have damaged agricultural fields, affected livestock, and disrupted the daily lives of thousands of families in Golaghat district. The Chief Minister described the impact as widespread hardship, with ongoing relief and rehabilitation operations underway.
What is an inter-ministerial central team and why does it matter for Assam?
An inter-ministerial central team is a Union government body that visits disaster-hit states to carry out an official damage assessment, which is required before funds from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) can be released. Its visit to Assam is a key step toward unlocking federal reconstruction support.
