Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday warned that the flood crisis gripping the state is significantly worse than official figures suggest, with entire villages still submerged and unreachable, fresh bodies continuing to be recovered, and thousands of residents stranded without access to rescue or relief. The Chief Minister made the remarks while speaking to reporters at Sonari in Charaideo district.

Scale of the Crisis

Chief Minister Sarma acknowledged that while a large number of flood-affected residents have taken shelter in relief camps, many others remain marooned in villages that rescue and relief teams have yet to reach. He admitted that the documented damage falls well short of the actual ground reality.

'Entire villages remain submerged and there are places where neither the government nor relief agencies have been able to reach. New bodies are still being recovered and the extent of the damage is much greater than what has been officially documented so far,' he said.

Rescue Operations Under Way

The Chief Minister confirmed that the Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the state administration are operating jointly to evacuate stranded residents. Sarma said he would personally visit the affected areas. Aerial operations using helicopters have also been attempted, though adverse weather and difficult terrain have restricted access to several locations.

In one stark illustration of the crisis on the ground, Sarma cited the case of a patient who could not be evacuated and had to be kept on a battery-operated rickshaw due to the absence of any viable access route.

Human Cost and Loss of Belongings

Chief Minister Sarma acknowledged the severe personal losses sustained by flood victims, noting that many families had lost their homes, livestock, educational certificates, and other essential belongings to the floodwaters. 'There is no limit to the suffering. We will stand with the people and extend every possible assistance,' he said.

Nagaland Cloudburst Connection

Referring to a recent cloudburst in neighbouring Nagaland, Sarma said the Assam government was informed by the Nagaland administration promptly after the incident. However, he noted that the sudden and extreme nature of the disaster left little room for preventive action on Assam's side. This comes amid a broader pattern of extreme weather events battering northeast India during the current monsoon season.

What Comes Next

The state government has committed to issuing regular flood bulletins, though Sarma cautioned that official reports will continue to understate the actual scale of destruction for some time. With rescue teams still unable to reach several pockets and recovery operations ongoing, the full human and material toll of the 2025 Assam floods is yet to be established. Relief and rehabilitation efforts are expected to intensify as access conditions improve.