Assam's flood situation continued to remain serious on Saturday, with more than 1.55 lakh people affected across 13 districts and the death toll from this year's deluge rising to 98. Officials reported one additional death from the Mahmora revenue circle in Charaideo district. The government is preparing to begin a detailed assessment of flood damage in the worst-hit areas to speed up the release of funds for permanent rehabilitation.

The affected districts include Sivasagar, Golaghat, Nagaon, Hojai, Sonitpur, Dhemaji, Darrang, Biswanath, Kamrup (Metropolitan), Lakhimpur, Udalguri, Jorhat and Charaideo. A total of 1,55,849 people were still affected by the floods, with Golaghat reporting the highest number at 58,750. Sivasagar had 48,286 affected people, while Jorhat recorded 25,259. The number of affected people had stood at more than 1.68 lakh across 15 districts on Thursday.

The administration was operating 55 relief camps, where more than 10,000 displaced people had taken shelter. Another 18 relief distribution centres were functioning to provide assistance to affected communities. Floodwaters had submerged 10,748.64 hectares of crop area, while more than 47,000 animals had also been affected by the ongoing situation.

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Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state government would conduct a door-to-door assessment of flood damage in Jorhat, Sivasagar, Golaghat and Charaideo from August 9 to 30. The four districts have been identified as the worst affected areas in the eastern part of Assam. The assessment is intended to provide a detailed estimate of the damage and determine the financial assistance required for long-term rehabilitation.

Sarma assured that no affected household would be left out of the assessment and that the government would provide the maximum relief permissible under existing norms. He said the initial assessment list would subsequently be re-verified with affected families to ensure that the damage and rehabilitation requirements had been accurately recorded.

The chief minister said the government expected to have an estimate of the funds required for permanent rehabilitation by September 10. Once the financial requirement is established, the administration would begin providing assistance for reconstruction and rehabilitation. The latest measures come as Assam continues to deal with widespread flooding that has caused deaths, displaced residents, damaged agricultural land and affected livestock across several districts.

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