Floods struck Upper Assam on July 19 after heavy rains in the Naga Hills, catching residents off guard. A cab driver noted the date as cursed following recent events. Lower Assam faces annual floods, but the upper region rarely sees such patterns. The state death toll reached 78 this year. Peak affected numbers exceeded 700,000, later falling to around 300,000. Displaced people peaked above 115,000 in relief camps, now down to 16,556. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma requested a central relief package after an inter-ministerial team finished its assessment. The government aims to ease public hardships. In Nepalikhuti village near the Assam-Nagaland border, resident Hari Sarma lost his home, belongings, documents and 15 cattle. Over 1,200 cows and calves were lost village-wide. The India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall in the Northeast over three days. Residents called the event unprecedented. The Dikhow River surged on July 19, engulfing the village of at least 500 homes and carrying away possessions and livestock. Many dairy farmers had little warning and climbed to rooftops that were also swept away. Krishna Karmakar died trying to save his son after water reached the roof. Several others remain missing. Receding waters left thick mud and debris across roads and houses, with a strong odor of decay. Concrete roof owners shelter there while others stay outdoors. Relief includes aid from social workers and government supplies of rice, lentils, potatoes, biscuits and clothes. The state announced 900,000 rupees ex gratia for families of the deceased and 15,000 rupees interim aid for severely affected households in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts. It also offered 1,000 rupees for books to higher secondary students and 3,000 rupees for undamaged items.
