Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday, 25 July described the ongoing flood crisis in the state as 'grim', attributing the devastation to an extraordinary 400 per cent excess rainfall rather than conventional riverine flooding. Nearly 11 lakh people across more than 2,000 villages have been affected, with rescue and relief operations continuing at full scale across Assam.

Scale of the Crisis

Sarma, speaking to reporters in Guwahati after reviewing the situation with senior officials and deputy commissioners of the affected districts, said the nature of this flood cycle is markedly different from past years. 'The scale of the floods this time is unprecedented. It was not the conventional flooding, but a sudden 400 per cent-plus excess rainfall that resulted in such large-scale devastation,' he said.

More than 41,000 people are currently sheltering in 162 relief camps set up across the state. Several rivers continue to flow above or near the danger mark, keeping authorities on high alert.

Relief Measures Deployed

The state government has distributed more than 14,000 quintals of rice, 2,000 quintals of dal, and 58,820 litres of mustard oil, alongside other essential supplies. The distribution drive is ongoing in affected areas.

To bolster district-level response, the state has released over ₹111 crore to district administrations, with additional financial support to be provided as needed. Ministers have been personally deployed in flood-hit districts to supervise relief coordination.

Mobile medical teams from the Health and Animal Husbandry departments have also been pressed into service to prevent disease outbreaks and provide care to both affected residents and livestock.

Army and Air Force to Be Roped In

Sarma said he would hold discussions with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force to improve access to marooned villages and step up aerial relief distribution — an indication that ground connectivity in several pockets remains severely disrupted.

He also announced that a Central government team would soon visit Assam to assess flood damage on the ground, while state assessment teams are set to begin uploading real-time loss data through a dedicated mobile application.

What Happens Next

The Chief Minister said he would personally revisit the worst-affected areas over the next two to three days to assess ground conditions. He expressed confidence in the state's resilience, assuring that every affected family would receive assistance in rebuilding their lives with support from the Centre.

This comes amid a broader pattern of intensifying monsoon extremes across northeastern India, where rainfall variability has grown sharper in recent years. With rivers still running high and disease risk rising in camps, the coming days will be critical for Assam's flood response machinery.