ISRO flood alerts reached Assam disaster authority, but warnings failed to reach people: Gogoi
By Dalim Phukan
Guwahati, Aug. 7: A political controversy has erupted in Assam over the alleged failure of the state disaster management machinery to issue timely flood warnings, with Congress leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Leader of Opposition Gaurav Gogoi claiming that the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) failed to utilise crucial satellite-based inputs provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The issue came to light following a written reply by the Centre to Unstarred Question No. 2909 raised by Gogoi in the Lok Sabha. Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh, informed the House that ISRO provides near real-time flood monitoring services for the Brahmaputra basin, with satellite-based flood inundation maps and data being transmitted directly to ASDMA within five to six hours of satellite data acquisition.
According to the reply, ISRO uses advanced satellite systems, including EOS-04 (RISAT-1A), Resourcesat-2/2A, Cartosat-2E and Cartosat-3, to monitor flood situations. During the 2025 monsoon season, ISRO provided 45 flood inundation maps to ASDMA, while 33 such maps were shared during the 2026 monsoon season up to July 28. These datasets are also made available through the National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM) and Bhuvan portals for district and sub-district level monitoring.
Gogoi questioned why residents of flood-hit districts in Upper Assam did not receive timely alerts despite the availability of such advanced warning systems.
Taking to social media platform ‘X’, the Congress leader alleged that the gap between scientific data availability and ground-level preparedness exposed serious shortcomings in the state’s disaster management system. He cited the example of Sivasagar district, where flash floods struck on July 19, and said the District Commissioner had reportedly stated that the administration had only around three hours to respond, with no prior official warning.
Gogoi questioned why ASDMA, despite receiving satellite-based flood information from ISRO within hours, failed to communicate the alerts to district administrations and vulnerable communities.
He alleged that valuable scientific inputs remained confined within government offices due to administrative delays, leaving thousands of people without adequate time to move livestock, household items and essential belongings to safer locations before floodwaters arrived.
“The contradiction between the Centre’s response and the reality faced by people on the ground raises serious questions about the functioning of ASDMA and the state government’s disaster preparedness,” Gogoi said, demanding a clarification on the alleged lapse and accountability for the failure to convert available data into timely warnings.
The Assam government had not issued any response to the allegations till the filing of this report.
——————-
Photograph: Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT) distributing relief materials to flood victims.
