Severe flooding has engulfed large parts of Assam, leaving at least 41 people dead and more than 727,000 affected as rescue teams race to reach stranded communities across the state’s eastern districts.
Sivasagar has emerged as one of the hardest-hit areas after rivers rose rapidly following persistent monsoon rain in Assam and neighbouring Nagaland. Villages, tea estates and roads have been submerged, forcing families to abandon homes and take shelter on rooftops, trees and elevated structures while awaiting evacuation.
The Indian Air Force has deployed helicopters to conduct aerial surveys, evacuate stranded residents and deliver food, drinking water and other emergency supplies to locations cut off by floodwaters. Air operations have focused on settlements where strong currents and damaged roads have restricted access for boats and ground rescue teams.
The Army, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, police and district authorities are also conducting rescue and relief operations. Personnel have used boats to move families from inundated neighbourhoods, while medical teams and local volunteers have assisted elderly people, children and residents requiring urgent treatment.
The Desang river in Sivasagar crossed its highest recorded flood level, surpassing a benchmark set in 1998. The rise intensified flooding across low-lying areas and added pressure on embankments, roads and drainage channels. The Dikhou and other rivers in upper Assam have also remained above danger levels at several monitoring points.
Nazira subdivision has suffered extensive damage, with homes, schools, farmland and tea estates under water. Thousands of workers and their families depend on plantations across the area, raising concerns over lost wages, damaged crops and disruption to tea production if waterlogging persists.
Accounts from affected communities have illustrated the speed of the disaster. Residents reported that water entered homes within hours, leaving little time to move livestock, food stocks or essential belongings. Some families spent the night on rooftops, while others climbed trees after roads and courtyards disappeared beneath fast-moving water.
Relief camps have been opened in schools and public buildings, including facilities in Nazira, where displaced families are receiving cooked meals, drinking water and basic medical care. Authorities are distributing tarpaulins, hygiene supplies and infant food, although access remains difficult in remote villages.
Flooding has disrupted transport links across upper Assam. Sections of rural roads have been washed away or rendered unsafe, isolating settlements and slowing the movement of relief vehicles. Rail services have also been affected, with more than 30 trains cancelled, diverted or terminated before their scheduled destinations because of waterlogged tracks and safety concerns.
The wider emergency has affected at least 16 districts, including Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Golaghat and Dhemaji. Several deaths were reported after people were swept away, trapped inside homes or caught in landslides linked to intense rainfall. More than 100 people were initially reported missing across affected areas, prompting fears that the toll could rise as search teams reach isolated communities.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat to inspect rescue operations, assess damage and meet displaced residents. He described the scale of flooding in upper Assam as extraordinary and said saving lives remained the government’s first priority.
The central government has reviewed the emergency and is preparing to send a team to assess losses after water levels subside. The evaluation is expected to cover damage to homes, crops, roads, bridges, embankments and public utilities, forming the basis for additional financial assistance.
Forecasts indicate that rainfall intensity may ease across some districts, but officials have warned that river levels can remain dangerously high even after rain weakens. Run-off from upstream catchments in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh can continue flowing into Assam’s river system for several hours or days, prolonging inundation downstream.
