Yet again, Assam prepares for a tragedy that is both predictable and disastrous as the state is battered by monsoon rains and the Brahmaputra surges. Economic activity halts, lives are disrupted, and there are times when entire villages disappear under the deluge. Even more terrible is the fact that this yearly disaster still occurs even though disaster management funds of crores of rupees are approved annually.
The public needs to pay immediate attention to the following question: Where is all the money going?
The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), a statutory fund under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, released ₹795.20 crore in 2024–2025 for Assam.
Furthermore, it was revealed that between 2021 and 2024, a total of ₹3,402.34 crore was spent on 637 flood and erosion management projects by the Assam Water Resources Department, out of which a sum of ₹1,500 crore was spent on embankment construction and strengthening.
Looking at these numbers, one might assume the state’s high-level readiness for the deluge. However, the truth reveals a different picture—one of severe systemic decay, delayed relief, and collapsed embankments.
Only ₹812 crore of the ₹2,043 crore authorized under the flood management program from 2007–2016 was actually released, according to a 2017 CAG audit. Even worse, Assam only gave up sixteen percent of its own share.
In 2024, there were more than 100 documented embankment breaches in one month, which resulted in the displacement of thousands of people and the deaths of more than 100.
These figures are the result of a lack of meticulous planning, poor management, and a lack of accountability rather than being the result of random occurrence.
Existing Central Schemes: A Closer Look
In an effort to address Assam’s ongoing flood problem, the Indian government has implemented a number of centrally sponsored and central sector schemes; nevertheless, due to their disjointed implementation, their effects are still uneven.
With a ₹4,100 crore budget for 2021–2026, the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP) intends to help states with flood control and erosion prevention projects.
Over the last ten years, Assam has received almost ₹800 crore under this initiative; yet, ongoing embankment breaches—more than 150 were recorded in 2023 alone—emphasize inadequate engineering standards and poor maintenance.
Farmers are insured against crop losses due to natural catastrophes, including floods, under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). More than 10 lakh farmers were enlisted in Assam in 2023–2024; however, its full potential has been hampered by low awareness and delayed claim payouts.
Furthermore, the Other Disaster Management Scheme (ODMS), a Central Sector Scheme that supports early warning systems, capacity building, and disaster preparedness infrastructure, has had its reach in Assam constrained by significant monitoring gaps and inadequate cooperation with state agencies.
Since 2022, the Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme (YAMS) has prepared more than 1,200 young volunteers in Assam to handle flood-related situations.
Despite the program’s potential to increase grassroots resilience, it requires significant growth to fully cover more flood-prone communities.
Along the Indo-Bangladesh border, erosion management and river stability projects are the main focus of the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s River Management Activities and Works Related to Border Areas (RMABA) program.
While Assam has benefited in part in erosion-prone places like Dhubri and Karimganj, the initiative’s full-scale impact has been limited by logistical issues and interdepartmental delays.
These plans collectively demonstrate that there is a policy framework; but in order to safeguard Assam from its cyclical floods, it must be accompanied by transparent, responsible, and coordinated execution.
Policy Suggestions: From Sanction to Solution
Spending additional money won’t solve the issue. The use of disaster management funds in Assam needs to be changed. First and foremost, create an impartial Flood Management Authority with the authority to transparently plan, audit, and carry out flood management initiatives. The standard—not the exception—should be real-time telemetry, GIS-based project monitoring, and mandatory social audits.
Furthermore, there is compelling evidence to support a Centrally Sponsored Scheme specifically for the Brahmaputra Basin that goes beyond general catastrophe funds.
Cooperation between Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya while tackling upstream and downstream vulnerabilities together could be ensured via a complementing Central Sector Scheme for integrated river basin management. As an alternative to seasonal firefighting, this would promote long-term planning.
In addition to being a natural disaster, Assam’s flood issue is also the result of poor governance. Although crores are approved, not much actually changes. Better planning, execution, and accountability—rather than more funding—are the answer.
Until these gaps are filled, Assam will keep drowning—in floodwaters and in the indifference of the mechanisms that are supposed to keep it safe.
The author is Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, CHRIST (Deemed to be University).
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