At least 36 people have died in India’s northeastern states after relentless monsoon rains triggered floods and landslides over the weekend, with victims including 11 in Assam, 10 in Arunachal Pradesh, 6 in Meghalaya, 5 in Mizoram, 3 in Sikkim, and one each in Tripura and Nagaland, many buried beneath debris.
The Regional Meteorological Centre of the IMD has issued a warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Assam and Mizoram, and heavy rainfall at isolated locations in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Tripura on Tuesday.
Flood situation in Assam worsened over the past 24 hours, with the number of affected people rising from 3.64 lakh on Sunday evening to 5.15 lakh on Monday.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) flood report, the number of flood-affected districts in Assam has risen to 22, including Hailakandi, Hojai, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Sribhumi, Karbi Anglong, Dibrugarh, Morigaon, Kamrup, Cachar, Golaghat, Darrang, Majuli, Dhemaji, Biswanath, Kamrup (M), West Karbi Anglong, Jorhat, Tinsukia, Sonitpur, Dima Hasao, and Sivasagar.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while instructing officials to strictly follow existing SOPs when releasing water downstream, stated that abrupt and ad hoc water releases have worsened the flood situation.
According to PTI, six deaths have been reported in the past three days in Meghalaya, with around 1,100 people across 49 villages affected by landslides, flash floods, and power disruptions.
Addressing the media after meeting with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa stated that both the governments of Assam and Meghalaya are committed to working together to find a solution to the recurring floods.
He further added that a detailed satellite study will be conducted within three months, after which, with the assistance of IIT Roorkee, a final solution will be implemented.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the death toll has risen to 11, with fatalities reported from Longding (1), East Kameng (7), Lower Subansiri (2), and Lohit (1), according to reports by Arunachal Times.
Over 56,000 people have been affected by flash floods in Manipur following the overflow of rivers and breaches in embankments, officials said on Tuesday.
The floods have damaged 10,477 houses, with 2,913 people evacuated from the worst-hit areas, mainly in Imphal East district.
A fresh embankment breach at Bashikhong after the Kongba river overflowed on Monday led to severe flooding in parts of Imphal city and Imphal East, prompting the setup of 57 relief camps for displaced residents.
Over the past five days, 93 landslides have been reported across the state, with low-lying areas in Imphal — such as Khurai, Heingang, and Checkon — still submerged due to rising water levels.
The River Barak at Chotabekra in Imphal East district of Manipur remains in a severe flood situation, flowing at 26.83 meters—0.63 meters above its danger level of 26.2 meters—with a falling trend, according to theCentral Water Commission.
MLA and Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president Keisham Meghachandra Singh demanded, “An impartial and independent investigation must be conducted into the loot of crores of rupees meant for tackling floods in Manipur.”
Calling the government a “double-engine government,” he said If there had been no corruption, Manipur would not be facing such devastating floods today.
“Rs 460 crore, under the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme, was sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti to the state government in 2022 to tackle floods in Manipur. A work order was issued in 2023. In February 2024, the Water Resources Minister of Manipur gave a positive update in the Legislative Assembly on the works undertaken under this programme when I raised the issue of preparedness for tackling floods in the state. Yet now, in May-June 2025, Manipur is devastated by floods due to the alleged loot of funds meant for flood management by the double-engine government,” he alleged.
In Sikkim, three Army personnel were killed and six others went missing after a landslide, triggered by heavy rainfall, struck a military camp in Lachen district on Sunday evening, according to a defence official.
The Army launched a rescue operation and recovered the bodies of Havaldar Lakhwinder Singh, Lance Naik Munish Thakur, and porter Abhishek Lakhada, while four personnel were rescued with minor injuries, it is learnt.
Meanwhile, over 1,600 tourists stranded in North Sikkim due to landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy rain on May 29 were evacuated on Monday, according to Mangan District Magistrate Anant Jain, though officials said nine tourists still remain missing.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “The Northeast is reeling under devastating floods, landslides and heavy rains. Assam, Arunachal, Manipur, Sikkim and Meghalaya are among the worst affected states, where many lives have been lost and lakhs of people have been affected.”
He emphasised the urgency of the situation, calling on party members to step up their efforts, stating, “Congress leaders and workers must do everything to provide assistance to the people.”
Recalling the past promises made by the ruling party, Kharge said, “In 2016, BJP had promised to make a ‘Flood-Free’ Assam. In 2022, Home Minister, Amit Shah repeated this promise.”
He criticised the current state of affairs, pointing out the disconnect between those promises and reality: “Looking at the visuals from the so-called ‘SMART CITY’ Guwahati, one is reminded how Modi ji and his double engine governments have betrayed Assam.”
Kharge also called for greater transparency and accountability regarding fund usage, suggesting, “Perhaps Modi ji could open the floodgates of PM CARES Fund, crores of which lie, without a public audit.”
