Damaged belongings of residents lie on the ground following flash floods triggered by heavy rain at Nepalikhuti village in Sivasagar district of Assam, on August 8, 2026. (IANS File Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 13
Cloudbursts were not reported during the July 2026 floods in Assam, with the Centre stating that the flooding was caused by incessant rainfall in Assam and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
The clarification was provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the Rajya Sabha on August 12 in response to an Unstarred Question on flood damage, casualties and ex-gratia relief in Assam. The question had specifically sought details of Assam districts affected by floods “resulting from cloudbursts in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.”
According to the MHA, information furnished by the Government of Assam showed that the July floods were caused by incessant rainfall in Assam as well as the neighbouring states. However, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), India Meteorological Department (IMD), Guwahati, reported no cloudburst.
The clarification comes against the backdrop of a major heavy rainfall episode across Upper Assam in July.
In a separate Lok Sabha response, the Ministry of Earth Sciences said the IMD had issued district-level rainfall forecasts and colour-coded impact-based warnings for all districts of Upper Assam, including Jorhat, Golaghat, Sivasagar and Charaideo, ahead of and during heavy to very heavy rainfall between July 18 and 20.
The IMD said its forecasts captured the heavy and very heavy rainfall events with a lead time of seven days, accompanied by daily colour-coded warnings valid for the subsequent seven days.
The weather system during the episode also involved Northeast Assam and Nagaland. The IMD said an upper-air cyclonic circulation over Northeast Assam shifted towards Central Assam and adjoining Nagaland between July 18 and 20, while other atmospheric systems helped sustain strong monsoonal activity over Upper Assam.
The MHA's district-wise data showed 78 flood-related deaths in Assam between July 1 and 31. Sivasagar recorded the highest number at 42, followed by Charaideo with 20 and Jorhat with nine. Golaghat reported three deaths, Karbi Anglong two, while Dhemaji and Sonitpur recorded one each.
The toll subsequently increased. A separate annexure on ex-gratia assistance showed 88 flood deaths as of August 4, with assistance paid to families of 71 deceased persons. Sivasagar accounted for 48 deaths, Charaideo 21, Jorhat nine, Golaghat four, Dhemaji three, Karbi Anglong two and Sonitpur one.
The MHA also stated that, under an August 1 notification of the Assam Government, submission of a post-mortem report is not mandatory for sanction and payment of ex-gratia assistance in deaths caused by floods and other notified natural disasters under SDRF/NDRF norms.
