Guwahati | Assam’s flood crisis remained critical on Thursday, with more than 6.43 lakh people affected across 10 districts, even as Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that an inter-ministerial central team would soon visit the state to assess the damage and recommend Central assistance.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the floods have affected 6,43,350 people in 35 revenue circles and 889 villages across the districts of Charaideo, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Hojai, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metro, Karbi Anglong, Nagaon and Sivasagar.

The official death toll has reached 41, but the Chief Minister cautioned that the number could rise as 70 to 80 people remain missing. In a post on X, Sarma said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to him and assured the Centre’s full support.

“In view of the unprecedented flood situation in Assam, he informed me that an inter-ministerial central team will soon visit the state to assess the extent of the damage and help determine the Central assistance required for rebuilding livelihoods,” the Chief Minister said.

Sarma thanked the Union Home Minister for the prompt response and reiterated that the devastating floods were triggered by a cloudburst in neighbouring Nagaland, which sent massive volumes of water into Assam’s river systems.

Speaking during a visit to a relief camp at Komarbondha in Golaghat district, the Chief Minister said officials from various Union ministries were expected to arrive “today or tomorrow” to conduct an on-ground assessment.

He also voiced concern over the likelihood of the casualty figure increasing. “So far, 41 people have died, but according to our assessment, there are still 70 to 80 people missing. I estimate that the casualty figure will rise further,” Sarma said.

The Chief Minister said thousands of families have suffered extensive losses, with homes inundated, agricultural land submerged, livestock washed away and important personal documents destroyed. “The people are in a difficult situation, and the government will try to help them in all possible ways,” he said.

The flood situation may worsen as water is being released from the NEEPCO-operated Doyang Hydel Power Project in Nagaland following rising reservoir levels. The Assam government has alerted downstream districts and is closely monitoring the river situation.

Sarma said that unusually intense rainfall and upstream cloudbursts had contributed to the scale of the disaster. He noted that 436 per cent above-normal rainfall in upstream areas had inundated villages that had not experienced such flooding in recent memory.

The Chief Minister also announced that the state government, in coordination with the Centre, would prepare a comprehensive rehabilitation package for every affected family. He said Assam would initiate discussions with neighbouring states to develop a long-term strategy to mitigate the impact of upstream cloudbursts and sudden water surges.

ASDMA said 99 relief camps are currently sheltering 24,596 displaced people, while 24,891.66 hectares of agricultural land remain under floodwaters.

Several rivers continue to flow above the danger level, including:

”               Buridihing at Khowang

”               Dikhou at Sivasagar

”               Disang at Nganglamuraghat

”               Dhansiri at Numaligarh

”               Kushiyara at Sribhumi

Rescue and relief operations are continuing with the deployment of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel across the affected districts. The flood crisis also dominated proceedings in the Assam Assembly for the second consecutive day.

Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi was suspended from the House for the remainder of the day after climbing onto his desk to protest the Speaker’s decision to reject his adjournment motion seeking an immediate discussion on the flood situation. Assembly marshals later escorted him out.

With rescue operations continuing and several rivers still in spate, authorities remain on high alert as concerns grow over further rainfall, additional upstream water releases and the possibility of more casualties in one of Assam’s worst flood episodes in recent years.