Relentless monsoon rains have unleashed widespread devastation across India’s northeastern states, claiming at least 36 lives and leaving lakhs of people displaced. Assam remains the worst-hit, with 11 fatalities and over 5.15 lakh people affected across 22 districts, including Dibrugarh, Morigaon, and Kamrup. Arunachal Pradesh has reported 10 deaths, Meghalaya 6, Mizoram 5, Sikkim 3, and one each in Tripura and Nagaland. Landslides and flash floods have damaged thousands of homes, submerged major towns, and led to the setting up of multiple relief camps as river levels continue to remain dangerously high.
In Manipur, over 56,000 people have been affected as rivers breached embankments and submerged large parts of Imphal East. The state witnessed 93 landslides in five days, displacing thousands. Allegations of fund mismanagement have added to public outrage, with opposition leaders demanding an independent probe into the alleged misuse of ₹460 crore meant for flood preparedness. Meanwhile in Sikkim, three Army personnel lost their lives and six others went missing after a landslide struck a military camp. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with over 1,600 stranded tourists already evacuated from North Sikkim.
Political leaders have criticized the central government’s lack of preparedness, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accusing the BJP of making hollow promises about flood control in Assam. He highlighted the disconnect between assurances of a “flood-free Assam” and the grim reality on the ground, particularly in cities like Guwahati. Kharge urged the Modi government to release more emergency funds and open the PM CARES fund for disaster relief in the Northeast. As the Indian Meteorological Department forecasts more heavy rainfall in the coming days, concerns continue to mount over the fragile state of disaster management in the region.
