Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday, 20 July said the state government is closely tracking the flood crisis in Upper Assam and is committed to delivering relief without delay, as the number of people affected surged past 57,100 across seven districts. The death toll from this year's flood season climbed to five after one person was reported dead in Sivasagar district, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

Scale of the Crisis

The flood situation has deteriorated sharply following heavy rainfall over the past two days. Charaideo is the worst-affected district, with nearly 24,000 people impacted, followed by Dhemaji where over 22,000 residents are displaced or stranded. Dibrugarh has reported more than 4,000 affected people, while Jorhat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia, and Udalguri have also seen significant inundation. The total affected count has more than doubled from approximately 24,000 recorded just a day earlier — a sign of how rapidly the situation is escalating.

Ministers Deployed on the Ground

As part of the government's coordinated response, senior minister Keshab Mahanta visited the flood-affected districts of Jorhat and Sivasagar on Monday to assess conditions and review rescue operations. Mahanta inspected flood-hit areas in Teok, surveyed prevailing conditions, and interacted directly with affected residents. He also reviewed the progress of relief measures being carried out by district authorities and disaster response agencies.

Meanwhile, minister Susanta Borgohain visited inundated areas under the Bokota-Lakuwa Mandal in the Demow Assembly constituency, where overflowing rivers have submerged Lonporiya and several nearby villages. Borgohain confirmed that the district administration has launched evacuation operations to move residents to safer locations, and that relief arrangements are in place for affected families.

What the Government Said

'We are committed to provide all relief measures swiftly to the people affected by the floods. The situation is being closely monitored by Team Assam on the ground,' Chief Minister Sarma said in a post on X. The state government has deputed ministers to multiple flood-hit districts to coordinate with local authorities and ensure timely distribution of relief materials.

Rescue Forces on the Ground

Rescue teams comprising personnel from the Army, Assam Rifles, and other disaster response agencies remain actively engaged in evacuation and relief operations across affected districts. Authorities continue to monitor the evolving situation as water levels remain high in several areas. This comes amid a broader pattern of recurring annual flooding in Assam — a state that loses thousands of hectares of land and livelihoods to the Brahmaputra and its tributaries every monsoon season.

What Comes Next

With the monsoon season far from over, the ASDMA and district administrations are on high alert for further deterioration. The rapid doubling of affected numbers in a single day underscores the urgency of sustaining relief operations at scale. All eyes are now on rainfall forecasts and river water levels across Upper Assam in the coming days.