News in Frames | The wounds beneath Assam’s deadly flood
Assam is facing severe flooding that has claimed 98 lives, with experts pointing to human interventions like deforestation and mining as contributing factors. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has called for a scientific, national-level solution rather than just declaring the floods a national problem.
Why it matters
The disaster underscores the intersection of climate change, environmental degradation, and the need for sustainable infrastructure policy in flood-prone regions.
O n July 19, a cloudburst upstream sent a sudden wall of water through Upper Assam. Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts are experiencing their worst flooding in decades, with the Dikhow River breaching its extreme flood level. Bihubor, Nepali Khuti, Bihari Basti, and Railwayghat are among the worst-affected areas in Sivasagar district.
Assam has a history of major floods up to five times a year, killing scores of people and animals and damaging crops and assets worth more than ₹1,000 crore annually. The floods this year have killed 98 people so far, most of them in three eastern districts — Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Jorhat.
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