Surat district recorded 61 cm of rain in a single day. Vast tracts of Assam are under water. Odisha and Himachal Pradesh have been fighting the monsoon since June. The Union government on Saturday (August 1) responded to the crisis by approving the advance release of Rs 2,117.85 crore. The funds were drawn from the Centre’s share of the State Disaster Response Fund and given to seven states hit by floods during the ongoing monsoon, an official statement said.
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat and Maharashtra were given their first instalments without completing the paperwork the rules normally require.
According to the statement, the advance release of first instalments has been approved for the four states by relaxing documentary requirements under applicable guidelines, considering the urgent need for resources for relief measures.
Relief funds sanctioned for impacted states
Gujarat and Maharashtra were sanctioned Rs 500 crore each. Assam received Rs 379.35 crore and Arunachal Pradesh Rs 44.55 crore.
Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Nagaland had already drawn their first instalments for the financial year 2026-27. Two of them have now been cleared for a second.
“To ensure timely availability of funds for relief operations, Union Home Minister [Amit Shah] has approved the advance release of the second instalment of the Central share of SDRF to Himachal Pradesh and Odisha,” the statement said.
Odisha’s second installment is Rs 500 crore. Himachal Pradesh has been sanctioned Rs 193.95 crore.
IMCT for Nagaland, no fresh funds
Nagaland is the seventh state in the group and the only one not receiving fresh funds in this round. The state government has instead asked the Centre for a damage assessment. “On request of the Government of Nagaland, an IMCT is being constituted for the state,” the statement further read.
Inter-Ministerial Central Teams assess damage on the ground before longer-term central assistance is cleared. Teams have already been deputed to Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Assam has had two visits, which the statement attributed to the severity of the flood situation in the state.
The Centre said it has monitored the flood situation in coordination with state governments since the onset of the monsoon.
IMD releases fresh rainfall warnings
The release coincides with fresh warnings for two of the states on the list. The India Meteorological Department said on Saturday that heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy falls at isolated places was likely over Gujarat, Kerala and Mahe, Coastal Karnataka and South Interior Karnataka during the day, with significant reduction thereafter.
Twelve districts of the Gujarat Region and 10 in Saurashtra and Kutch face a low to moderate flash flood risk until Sunday morning.
Ambika in Surat district recorded 61 cm of rain in the 24 hours ending on Saturday (August 1), the highest station total in the country. The IMD classifies rainfall of 30 cm or more as exceptionally heavy.
Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast over the northeast for the rest of the week.