Assam CM meets family of boy who died saving puppy from flood water

Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, met the family of a 13-year-old boy who tragically died while attempting to save his puppy from floodwaters in eastern Assam on Wednesday, August 5, 2026. The flood event occurred on July 19 when heavy rainfall in Nagaland triggered catastrophic flooding that quickly inundated Sivasagar district.

The boy, Hridip Panika, was swept away after saving his pet puppy, whose body was found days later as the waters receded. His parents, Deepak and Parbati Panika, were visibly distressed as they cradled the Chief Minister's shoulders. Sivasagar district was particularly affected due to swift and extensive floodwaters, cutting through it on July 19.

Despite the Chief Minister's assurances of assistance in rebuilding their home, he could not replace Hridip. By August 5, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority reported that 1.22 lakh people had been affected across 10 districts, though this number had since decreased. However, the authority warned residents to avoid several rivers that had begun to rise.

Since April, the floods have claimed 89 lives in Assam. The erosion of riverbanks, primarily by the Brahmaputra, has exacerbated the issue. In Lakhimpur district, Bonpuroi-Jamuguri has suffered severely from such erosion, with a large crack in the Jamuguri-Arimora embankment posing a significant risk of collapse. This could flood parts of Bihpuria and Gohpur Assembly constituencies, raising alarm among residents and local authorities.

The Chief Minister's visit coincided with a tour by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J. P. Nadda, who also expressed confidence in the government's support for flood-affected families. He toured landslide-affected areas in Nagaland, where over 800 houses were washed away, and visited flood-stricken regions in Nagaland and Manipur.