Assam Floods: Toll Rises to 80, Over 2 Lakh Affected; State Announces Loan Moratorium
The death toll in the Assam floods rose to 80 on Friday, with two more fatalities reported from Sivasagar district. The state government said eight districts and over 2.12 lakh people remain affected by the deluge, even as the overall situation showed signs of improvement from Wednesday when more than three lakh people were hit.
According to officials, 21 revenue circles and 437 villages across Golaghat, Sivasagar, Biswanath, Charaideo, Kamrup (Metropolitan), Jorhat, Dhemaji and Nagaon continue to be affected. Charaideo remains the worst-hit district with nearly 80,000 people affected, followed by Sivasagar (71,000) and Jorhat (40,000).
The administration is currently operating 112 relief camps and distribution centres in four districts, providing shelter and care to 75,583 people. Multiple agencies, including the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Emergency Services, police and civil authorities, are engaged in rescue and relief operations.
The floods have submerged 17,198.09 hectares of crop area across the state. Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have also suffered severe damage, officials said.
In a significant move to ease the burden on affected families, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that a State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) meeting, attended by representatives from the RBI, NABARD, SBI and other commercial banks, has decided on a relief scheme for loan borrowers in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts. "The SLBC decided that a moratorium of six months will be offered to all flood-affected people in these districts," Mr. Sarma said.
The Chief Minister added that the tenure of existing loans taken by flood-affected people can be extended from one year up to seven years, depending on the type of debt. This measure is intended to provide immediate financial relief and prevent distress among borrowers.
Separately, the state government has placed a demand for a comprehensive support package before the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which concluded its four-day tour of flood-ravaged districts in Upper Assam on Wednesday. The state has also urged the Centre to recognise the Upper Assam floods as an "atypical, high-intensity, rapid-onset event," which would allow for flexible norms in damage assessment and assistance.
The current flood spell is considered unprecedented in terms of its intensity and scale. Officials said the situation has improved since Wednesday, when seven districts and more than three lakh people were affected. However, the rehabilitation of affected families and the restoration of damaged infrastructure will require substantial time and resources.
The state government's demand for a central package underscores the severity of the crisis, even as relief efforts continue on the ground.
