The massive flood in eastern Assam, triggered by heavy rainfall across the region, was worsened by man-made environmental degradation in the hilly terrains of Nagaland. The unprecedented rainfall (up to 137 mm) in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland during July 18–22 swelled all the major rivers in the region, namely the Dikhow, Disang, Darika, Dhansiri, Jhanji and Bhogdoi, carrying a sudden surge of water laden with silt and debris. The volume of muddy water exceeded the capacity of the riverbeds and eventually breached embankments in many places.
The Nagaland government reportedly warned the Assam administration promptly about the possibility of a disaster, but the Assam State Disaster Management Authority probably failed to grasp the seriousness of the warning. The lack of an efficient internal warning system to adopt quick preventive measures, coupled with unprepared district administrations, later amplified the disaster.
Now, the floodwaters have started receding, reducing the number of affected people to around 1.25 lakh across the flood-hit districts of Charaideo, Sivasagar, Golaghat and Jorhat, where the death toll has risen to nearly 90. More than 200 villages remain inundated, and thousands of families are still taking shelter in relief camps. The disaster damaged thousands of hectares of cropland and washed away lakhs of livestock and poultry belonging to indigenous families.
As necessary funds are released by the Union government in New Delhi and private parties start contributing to the relief effort, various agencies have already engaged in rescue, relief and rehabilitation initiatives. Local people from Assam, along with individuals from many parts of India, have also travelled to the affected districts with relief materials according to their capacities.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the devastated localities, interacted with affected families and reviewed the relief and rehabilitation initiatives on the ground. The government has already announced various welfare and rehabilitation schemes for the affected people. An interim assistance of Rs 15,000 has been announced for over 75,000 families, along with ex gratia payments of up to Rs 9 lakh for each deceased person’s family. Government officials will start visiting households from August 9 to assess the extent of permanent damage.
Sarma directed the district administrations to take necessary measures to prevent waterborne and vector-borne diseases once the floodwaters recede. He also assured that a series of health camps would be organised in the flood-affected areas.
Amid the chaos, senior Assam Congress leader Debabrat Saikia publicly stated that unchecked stone and sand mining in the Dikhow river had disrupted its natural flow and contributed to extensive soil erosion in the hills, ultimately worsening the floods in downstream areas. The former leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly also raised concerns over the large-scale extraction of stone and sand from the riverbed.
He even approached the Gauhati High Court, following which the court, on October 21, 2019, directed the Assam government to constitute a dedicated Mines and Minerals Task Force Battalion and a high-level committee for river conservation. However, the government paid no visible attention to these directives.
Many river experts have also commented that the large-scale loss of forest cover in the upstream Naga Hills, triggered by unscientific mining activities, accelerated the flow of rainwater mixed with silt during intense rainfall, resulting in one of the worst floods in Assam.
Coal mining activities in Nagaland have never been a hidden issue, as legislators in the State Assembly have repeatedly discussed the problem. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, while participating in such discussions, admitted that the unique landholding system in the state does not allow effective government intervention.
It is worth mentioning that, under Article 371A of the Constitution, land belongs to the people of Nagaland and is governed by the customary laws of each tribe. Taking advantage of this provision, many landowners permit open-cast or rat-hole coal mining on their land, ultimately degrading the environment in various ways.
Along with government agencies, a significant number of social organisations have stepped into the ongoing rescue and relief operations. A large group of volunteers belonging to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Sewa Bharati joined the relief work, distributing essential materials such as tarpaulins, candles, mosquito-repelling coils, dry food items, bottles of drinking water, soaps and medicines directly to affected families.
Even the journalist community in Assam has shown remarkable sensitivity by collecting relief materials and distributing them among stranded people in flood-affected areas.
However, apprehensions remain. If more rainfall hits the upstream areas of Nagaland in the coming weeks, the disaster could recur in the affected localities of Assam. In that case, proper rehabilitation for thousands of indigenous families in eastern Assam will emerge as a major challenge for the government.
With a pragmatic government policy, the loss of human lives and property can be minimised. But unless the Nagaland government is taken into confidence by the Central government to address environmental degradation in its territory, Assam may continue to face similar disasters repeatedly.
An inter-state approach has now become essential for the entire region. Moreover, the low-lying areas must be provided with scientifically designed embankments, well-planned wetlands and improved drainage systems to mitigate future disasters more effectively.
A thorough investigation to identify irregularities and fix accountability on individuals responsible will also be necessary to address the issue pragmatically.