Assam's flood death toll has risen to 80, with two new fatalities reported from Sivasagar district, as eight districts and over 2.12 lakh people remain affected. The state government has announced a six-month moratorium on loan repayments for flood-affected individuals and is seeking a special support package from the Centre.
The flood situation in Assam is showing signs of improvement with receding water levels, though over 6.5 lakh people across six districts remain affected and the death toll has risen to 66. Relief operations are being intensified, with central and state leaders reviewing measures and a central team assessing damages.
Assam's flood toll has climbed to 87 with two new fatalities, even as water levels recede in most inundated areas, affecting nearly 1.3 lakh people. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for extremely heavy rainfall in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, which could impact several bordering Assam districts.
Assam's flood death toll has climbed to 75 with seven new fatalities, even as the number of affected people decreased. The state government has increased the ex gratia payment to Rs 9 lakh per deceased family and relaxed norms for claiming compensation, including waiving mandatory post-mortem reports.
It has offered a rare moment of relief, allowing them to sit down, talk, smile and feel human again amid days of uncertainty and hardship.
Floods in Assam have claimed 31 lives, with 21 fatalities reported in the last 24 hours, affecting nearly 5.65 lakh people across multiple districts. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited affected areas, announcing an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh for each deceased's family and acknowledging difficulties in relief distribution to submerged villages.
A single night of deadly floods wiped out an entire village in Assam, leaving families without homes, cattle or hope.
Assam faces a severe flood crisis with 41 deaths and over 6.5 lakh people displaced, prompting intensified rescue operations and a critical alert for continued heavy rainfall.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has urged his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart, Pema Khandu, to order an inquiry into a recent firing incident along the inter-state border that injured 12 people from Assam. The incident occurred amidst ongoing efforts to resolve long-standing boundary disputes between the two northeastern states, with Sarma emphasising the need for cooperation despite the setback.
Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain has expressed deep concern over the devastating floods in her home state of Assam, stating it has affected her focus at the Commonwealth Games. She appealed to the public for help, highlighting the loss of lives and homes, and the urgent need for food, water, and clothing for the affected population.
A fresh clash erupted between protesters from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in Dhemaji district, leading to police firing in the air, as an indefinite economic blockade against Arunachal Pradesh entered its second day over land encroachment issues and an earlier firing incident.
Lachit Borphukan is revered as one of Assam's greatest military commanders and a symbol of courage, patriotism and selfless leadership.
A tripartite pact -- amid the promise of removing AFSPA from almost all of the North East -- revives hydrocarbon exploration along the Assam-Nagaland border after decades of dormancy.
The 'key person' involved with the plan is still absconding, though the police have his whereabouts and he will be nabbed soon, Sarma said.
Also, as part of the IDY celebrations, entry to all ASI sites will be "free of cost" for the public on June 21, the ministry of culture said in a statement on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Assam and participated in a grand Jhumoir dance performance, celebrating 200 years of the state's tea industry and the rich cultural heritage of the tea tribe community. He played a traditional drum of the tea tribe community, highlighting the government's efforts to support the tea industry and uplift the tea tribe community. The event, attended by dignitaries and ambassadors from around 60 countries, showcased Assam's vibrant traditions to a global audience.
Dhubri is the worst-hit district, followed by Cachar and Darrang.
The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Thursday even though flood waters started have receding in many parts of the state, officials said.
Assam's flood situation remained critical on Tuesday with over 6.71 lakh people affected in 20 districts in the second wave of flooding this year, as the Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued 13 stranded fishermen from the severely-hit Dibrugarh district, an official said.
Sarma said his government will take further steps based on the suggestions of the home minister.
The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which trained a batch of Assam's United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants in 1991-92, considered the rebel group's chief Paresh Baruah a prize catch and did not want to offend him even after he was unwilling to take the agency's commands on conducting operations in the northeastern state, claims a new book.
All four blasts occurred in a span of 10 minutes -- between 8.15 and 8.25 am, a police officer said. There has been no report of any casualty, as Republic Day being a holiday, people were mostly indoors, he said.
Each of Assam's border disputes has its own legacy of claims and counter-claims:
The flood situation in Assam deteriorated on Thursday with one more person losing his life and nearly 7.18 lakh people in 27 districts remaining affected by the deluge, an official bulletin said.
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, was completely withdrawn in Meghalaya in 2018, Tripura in 2015 and Mizoram in the 1980s.
Readers share their best photos of India from their travels.
Suspension of Internet services in ten districts of Assam was extended for 48 hours on Thursday
The bill was passed by Rajya Sabha yesterday. The Act comes into effect with its publication in the official gazette on Thursday.
Amid widespread protests against the citizenship bill in the state, the govt suspended Internet services to 'prevent spreading rumours'.
The ministry of petroleum and natural gas has granted seven authorisations to companies for selling automobile (auto) fuels in the country. These new approvals are under the relaxed guidelines for authorisation to market transportation fuels that were revised in 2019. This is expected to make the competition more intense in India's petroleum retail business. According to a top oil ministry official, a fresh marketing authorisation has been granted to Reliance Industries (RIL) under these norms. This is being done since RIL's existing retail marketing authorisation has been transferred to its subsidiary Reliance BP Mobility
Three militants belonging to the banned United Liberation Front of Asom were killed and one militant was arrested in two separate incidents of gun-battle, between the militants and joint teams of the Army and police, near the Assam-Arunachal border on Saturday.Security sources informed that two ULFA militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at Khamongaon under Kakotibari police station in Charaideo sub-division of Sivasagar district.
Security personnel recovered one AK 56 rifle, two magazines, one grenade, a pistol and a cellphone from the slain militant identified as Rajib Saikia.
The Manali-Leh National Highway-3 was blocked after heavy rainfall triggered landslide in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district on Friday.
Sonowal called violence a political conspiracy and asserted that he was committed to protecting the rights of the indigenous people.
Stressing that there is a need to strengthen the collective efforts to curb the spread of the virus, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said ramping up testing and vaccination, healthcare infrastructure planning, following Covid-appropriate behaviour and effective clinical management are among the measures to be taken by these states.
There was no casualty or injury in any of the explosions
The prime minister was apparently referring to Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg's controversial 'toolkit', which she tweeted and then deleted, outlining ways in which people can participate in the farmers protest.
People have been acting with restraint regarding decoration of churches, private homes, hotels and other public places and shops selling Christmas decoration and party items hardly did any business this year.
Text messaging services of all telecom operators also remained suspended in Lucknow and some other parts of UP. In Assam, services were restored 10 days after being banned.
A magnificent display of India's cultural diversity through colourful parades across the length and breadth of the country marked the 71st Republic Day celebrations on Sunday which passed off peacefully, barring in Upper Assam, which was rocked by four explosions within a span of 10 minutes.
