No cloudburst in Assam during July floods, 71 families get ex‑gratia: Centre

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) The Central Government on Wednesday clarified that no cloudburst was reported in Assam during the floods in July 2026, stating that the deluge was caused by incessant rainfall in Assam, neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai made the clarification in a written reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha regarding flood damage, casualties and ex‑gratia relief in Assam.

Rai said the information furnished by the Assam government indicated that the July floods were triggered by persistent rainfall not only within the state but also in the neighbouring states of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. “However, no cloudburst was reported by the Regional Meteorological Centre‑India Meteorological Department (RMC‑IMD), Guwahati,” the Minister said.

The clarification is significant as the question raised in the Rajya Sabha had specifically sought details of districts in Assam affected by floods resulting from cloudbursts in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, along with district‑wise casualties attributed to cloudbursts and floods during July.

According to the Centre, the district‑wise details of deaths reported due to floods during July 2026 were furnished by the Assam government through its Disaster Reporting and Information Management System (DRIMS).

The reply also addressed concerns over post‑mortem examinations in cases where deaths occurred during floods and other natural disasters. Rai said that under a notification issued by the Assam government on August 1, 2026, submission of a post‑mortem report is not mandatory for sanction and payment of ex‑gratia assistance in cases of death caused by floods and other notified natural disasters, including state‑specific disasters.

The assistance is provided under the norms of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), the Minister said.

The Centre further disclosed that ex‑gratia assistance had been provided to the families of 71 deceased individuals till August 4, 2026.

The clarification comes amid widespread flooding in Assam during the monsoon season, with heavy rainfall in the state and upstream areas of neighbouring northeastern states contributing to the rise in water levels and inundation in several areas.

The Ministry of Home Affairs’ response also makes clear that the Centre’s assessment does not attribute the July flooding to cloudburst events. Instead, the official explanation points to sustained and intense rainfall across Assam and its neighbouring states as the primary factor behind the flooding.

The Rajya Sabha question was raised by MP Terash Gowalla, who had also sought information on whether post‑mortem examinations were conducted for all victims and details of financial or administrative assistance extended to the families of those who died.

The Centre’s response indicates that the Assam government’s relief mechanism allows ex‑gratia payments to be processed without making post‑mortem reports a mandatory requirement in notified disaster‑related deaths, while relief has already reached the families of 71 victims as of August 4.

–IANS

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