Guwahati: The Assam government will conduct a door-to-door assessment of flood damage in four worst-affected districts from August 9 to 30, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The assessment will cover Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo and Golaghat, where the recent floods have caused extensive damage to houses, infrastructure and livelihoods.

Sarma said no affected household would be left out of the survey and assured that the government would provide the maximum relief permissible under existing norms. “From 9 to 30 August, our teams will undertake a door-to-door assessment of damage,” Sarma said in a social media post after chairing a meeting with officials from the four districts.

He directed district commissioners, co-district commissioners and circle officers to take a compassionate approach during the assessment and ensure that every genuine case of flood damage is recorded.

According to the Chief Minister, survey teams will photograph the damage and upload the details through a dedicated mobile application developed for the exercise. The initial assessment is expected to be completed by August 30 and will later be re-verified with affected families.

Sarma said the survey would help the government estimate the funds required for permanent rehabilitation. After the assessment and verification process, the government expects to have an estimate of the required funds by September 10. “Once the estimate of the funds is known, we can start providing the requisite financial assistance for permanent rehabilitation,” he said.

Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, along with several ministers and MLAs, attended the meeting. Training for surveyors will begin in the four districts from Saturday. Meanwhile, at least 97 people have died in the current flood situation, while more than 1.68 lakh people remain affected across Assam. The four eastern Assam districts are among the worst-hit areas.

With schools across the state scheduled to reopen from August 10, Sarma said students of schools that suffered major flood damage would be temporarily accommodated in nearby schools.

He also said Rs 2 lakh each had already been released to affected schools in the worst-hit districts for cleaning and repair work. Funds announced for providing free school uniforms and book grants have also been disbursed, the Chief Minister said.