Himanta Biswa Sarma halts unauthorized flood relief fundraising in Assam
India
Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stopped all unauthorized street fundraising for flood relief, saying the government is handling support directly.
He pointed to heavy rainfall upstream, not dam releases in Bhutan, as the main reason behind the rising river levels.
So far, floods have hit 14 districts, left about 160,000 people affected, and claimed 95 lives.
Assam urges donations to official channels
Sarma encouraged everyone to donate straight to official channels or help out personally if they can.
Assam's Chief Secretary Ravi Kota also cleared up rumors about Bhutan's involvement, explaining that only routine dam maintenance happened recently and that teams from both countries are staying in close touch as water levels rise.