New Delhi, August 13: The central government clarified on Wednesday that there were no incidents of cloudbursts during the floods in Assam in July 2026. The floods were attributed to continuous rainfall in Assam, as well as in neighboring states Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
Home Minister Nityanand Rai provided this clarification in a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha regarding the damage caused by the floods in Assam, casualties, and relief funds.
Rai stated that information from the Assam government indicated that the floods in July were due to persistent rainfall not only in Assam but also in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. He mentioned, “The Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati, part of the Indian Meteorological Department, has not reported any cloudbursts.”
This clarification is significant as the question raised in the Rajya Sabha specifically sought details about districts in Assam affected by floods due to cloudbursts in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, along with district-wise fatalities during July’s floods.
According to the government, the district-wise details of deaths caused by the floods in July 2026 were provided by the Assam government through its Disaster Reporting and Information Management System (DRIMS).
The response also addressed concerns regarding post-mortem examinations in cases of deaths during floods and other natural disasters. Rai noted that, according to a notification issued by the Assam government on August 1, 2026, post-mortem reports are not mandatory for approving and disbursing relief funds for deaths caused by floods and other notified natural disasters, including state-specific calamities.
The minister explained that this assistance is provided under the criteria of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
Furthermore, the central government revealed that as of August 4, 2026, relief funds had been provided to 71 families of the deceased.
This clarification comes amid widespread flooding during the monsoon season in Assam, where heavy rainfall in the state and neighboring northeastern regions has led to rising water levels and inundation in several areas.
The Home Ministry’s response also clarified that the central assessment did not identify cloudbursts as the cause of the July floods. Instead, the official statement attributed the floods primarily to continuous and intense rainfall in Assam and its neighboring states.
The question in the Rajya Sabha was raised by MP Terash Gowala, who also inquired whether post-mortems had been conducted for all victims and requested details of financial or administrative assistance provided to the families of the deceased.
The central response indicates that relief funds can be disbursed without requiring post-mortem reports for notified disaster-related deaths under the Assam government’s relief arrangements, with assistance already reaching 71 families by August 4.
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