Several northeastern states remain in the grip of severe floods and landslides triggered by continuous heavy rainfall, with the overall death toll rising to 36 and over 5.5 lakh people affected as of Monday. With 11 deaths, Assam is the worst-hit state. Arunachal Pradesh recorded 10 fatalities, Meghalaya six, Mizoram five, Sikkim three, and Tripura one in the current spell of flooding across the region.

Union minister and BJP president JP Nadda on Monday urged all party state units and karyakartas to “provide all possible assistance in accordance with the issued guidelines.”

Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the Modi government over its handling of the situation. He said he hopes Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open the floodgates of the PM CARES Fund, “where he claimed crores lie without any audit.”

More than 5.35 lakh people have been affected across 22 districts in Assam as the flood situation worsens, with the death toll rising to 11, according to an official bulletin. Fifteen rivers are currently flowing above the danger mark.