After Deadly Floods in India’s Assam, Experts Call for Better Warnings and Long-Term Planning
Experts say erratic monsoon rains and human-caused changes are making Assam floods more destructive as more than 700,000 people are displaced.
- Flooding in India's Assam state has killed more than 100 people this year, marking the region's worst disaster in six decades. More than 700,000 residents have been displaced as floodwaters submerged farmland and critical infrastructure.
- Climate change and unplanned urbanization are intensifying monsoon rains, overwhelming existing flood defenses. About 40% of Assam's land remains vulnerable to inundation, with heavy reliance on embankments and deforestation increasing regional flood risk.
- Dairy farmer Prakash Sharma described the sudden surge in Nepalikhuti village, where floodwaters reached roughly 9 feet. Sharma, who helped his elderly parents reach safety, said the event was a "natural calamity of humongous proportion we had never seen before."
- Residents in Hulang Katoni reported receiving no advanced warnings as water levels surged rapidly. Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, emphasized that India struggles to implement significant measures to reduce disaster risks.
- Emmanuel Raju, director of the Copenhagen Centre for Disaster Research, advocates for "true adaptation requires moving towards living with rivers through wetland restoration and proactive early action." Experts argue flood planning should follow natural river basin contours rather than state borders.
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My Mother Lode
After deadly floods in India’s Assam, experts call for better warnings and long-term planning
GUWAHATI, India (AP) — Rojo Neog left his house in India’s Assam state on the evening of July 19 to buy candles after heavy rain knocked out electricity. As he rode back on his bicycle, the Dikhow River suddenly rose and the current intensified. The floodwaters swept him away, and his body was found three...
Associated Press News
After deadly floods in India's Assam, experts call for better warnings and long-term planning
More than 100 people have died in floods in India’s northeastern Assam state which government officials say is the worst the climate vulnerable region has seen in six decades.
After deadly floods in India, experts call for better warnings and long-term planning
More than 100 people have died in floods in India’s northeastern Assam state which government officials say is the worst the climate vulnerable region has seen in six decades
Catastrophic Floods Ravage Assam: Experts Call for Better Warnings and Lasting Solutions
Following devastating floods that have swept through Assam, India, resulting in significant loss of life and widespread displacement, experts are urging authorities to enhance early warning systems and implement comprehensive long-term planning measures. The recent catastrophe has once again highlighted the region’s vulnerability to seasonal flooding, exposing gaps in disaster preparedness and response. As communities struggle to recover, calls …
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