Every monsoon, India watches Assam disappear beneath water. Images of submerged villages, rescue boats navigating inundated roads, families taking refuge on embankments and wildlife fleeing flooded forests briefly dominate national headlines before attention inevitably shifts elsewhere. Relief is announced, compensation follows, and reconstruction begins, only for the same tragedy to return the following year. The devastating floods of 2026 should force India to confront an uncomfortable truth: Assam’s floods are no longer seasonal disasters but a recurring national emergency that deserves recognition as a national calamity.

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According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the 2026 floods have claimed 100 lives to date. Millions were affected during successive waves of flooding, while even after the waters began receding, nearly 1.8 lakh people across seven districts continued to suffer the consequences. According to Assam’s disaster management minister, floods have claimed approximately 836 lives in the state over the past decade. The Union government sanctioned ₹379 crore for relief and rehabilitation, yet emergency assistance cannot substitute for a permanent strategy to address a crisis that repeats itself almost........

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