Floods Kill 41 in Northeast India

At least 41 people have died after torrential monsoon rains triggered severe flooding across India’s northeastern state of Assam, as rescue and relief operations continue.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the flooding, which began in June, has also swept away thousands of livestock and affected hundreds of communities across the state.

“We have lost 41 precious lives till date, and thousands of livestock have been washed away,” Sarma said.  

According to him, intense rainfall, about 436 percent above normal, combined with cloudbursts upstream, caused widespread flooding, including in villages that had not experienced such devastation in recent history.

“Cloudbursts upstream, coupled with localised heavy rainfall, 436 percent above normal, have led to flooding in villages that have not seen such devastation in recent history,” he added. 

Sarma said emergency responders, including personnel from the Indian Air Force, the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force, were working around the clock to assist affected communities.

Authorities have established nearly 150 relief camps sheltering about 30,000 displaced residents.

The chief minister said about 900,000 people in more than 1,800 villages have been affected by the floods.

In a statement issued late Wednesday, the government said payload drones were being used to deliver relief materials to remote communities, while more than 50 small boats had been deployed in shallow-water areas inaccessible to larger rescue vessels.

The Indian Air Force and other military units have also airlifted relief supplies to isolated locations.

Monsoon flooding is a recurring challenge in India, where millions depend on seasonal rains to support agriculture and industry. However, experts warn that climate change and rapid urbanisation are making extreme weather events more frequent and destructive.

Last week, flash floods and landslides linked to monsoon rains killed at least 19 people in Nagaland and Indian-administered Kashmir.