Assam flood: First tranche of Rs 160 cr interim relief to worst-hit households released

The Assam government on Monday, August 3 released the first tranche of around Rs 160 crore interim relief to over 75,000 households that were the worst affected in this year's floods, officials said.

The toll in the deluge this year rose to 85 as three more deaths were reported on Sunday even as the number of affected people dipped to 1.35 lakh, they said.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is touring the worst-affected districts in Upper Assam, released the first tranche of interim relief from Dibrugarh.

Around 75,000 families with severely damaged houses in Sivasagar, Chariadeo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts received Rs 15,000 each, the officials said.

Subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar scheme was also released for affected eligible families.

Sarma had earlier announced several interim relief measures for the worst-hit districts, most of which will be covered with donations received in the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

The CM, in a social media post, said, "Rs 160 crore has been credited directly into the bank accounts of families affected by the #AssamFloods. This morning, I transferred the promised interim assistance of Rs 15,000 each to nearly 75,000 of the worst-hit households across the four districts, along with the state subsidy under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana to those eligible."

He said the government is making efforts to place immediate liquidity in the hands of families so that they can begin rebuilding without delay while final compensation is determined through a comprehensive assessment.

"A further tranche of Rs 10,000 for severely impacted families in Sivasagar and Charaideo will be released in the next few days. We stand firmly with our family members who had to endure such difficulties," Sarma said.

Asserting that the government is taking a "multi-faceted approach" to help the people by opening every possible avenue to give them cash in hand, the CM added, "Through releasing @PMSuryaGhar state subsidy, we have utilised another instrument to help those affected by #AssamFloods."

Sarma later visited parts of Sivasagar district and oversaw the relief and rehabilitation operations, while also interacting with the affected people.

The latest fatalities in the deluge were reported in Sivasagar, one of the most-affected districts in the current wave of floods in the northeastern state.

A total of 1,36,200 people remained affected by floods in Charaideo, Dhemaji, Golaghat, Jorhat and Sivasagar districts. On Saturday, almost 1.8 lakh people were affected across five districts.

Sivasagar remained the worst-hit with over 55,000 people affected, followed by 40,000 people in Charaideo and 22,000 in Jorhat.

Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, in a post on X through his official handle, shared details of the relief measures being pursued by the state government.

"Based on assessments carried out by the respective district administrations, the Government of Assam has initiated the first tranche of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for nearly 75,000 eligible flood-affected families across the four districts. An amount of Rs 15,000 per family, involving a total outlay of approximately Rs 112 crore, is being extended to support immediate post-disaster recovery needs," it said.

The package includes Rs 2,500 each for clothing and utensils, Rs 3,000 as gratuitous relief for livelihood support under the SDRF and an additional Rs 7,000 provided by the state government.

The chief secretary mentioned the various measures already announced, like exemption of land tax for one year and waiving off electricity charges for up to 300 units consumed during July 2026 for domestic and 'Jeevan Dhara' consumers in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts.

Eligible households in the flood-affected districts will receive financial assistance of Rs 1.20 lakh, in accordance with SDRF norms, for the restoration of damaged houses, besides funds for loss of livestock, installation of hand tube wells, damaged looms and finished handloom products.

"The state government is also taking urgent steps to provide financial assistance for crop damage and other livelihood losses in accordance with prescribed norms, and damage assessment work for this purpose is being initiated," the chief secretary said.

He also shared details of assistance announced for restoration of Anganwadi centres, schools and 'Namghars', and organising health camps for flood-affected people and veterinary camps.

He mentioned steps initiated for expedited settlement of insurance claims with minimum documentation for the worst-hit locations.

Ex-gratia assistance of Rs 9 lakh per deceased person is also being extended to the next of kin, while Rs 5.64 crore has already been released for debris clearance from roads, public places, homes, schools and other affected locations.

"While natural disasters test our resilience, they also remind us of the power of unity, compassion and collective action. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the district administrations, disaster response forces, volunteers, civil society organisations and all those who have worked tirelessly to support the affected communities throughout this crisis," Kota said.

"The Government of Assam remains steadfast in extending every possible support, both in cash and in kind, and is fully committed to ensuring timely assistance and facilitating the speedy recovery of the affected communities," the top official added.