By virtue of its geo-climatic conditions, about 60 percent of India is prone to flood with 4.84 million people in danger from it (Farooq 2019, World Resources Institute 2015). The reason lies in the geographical distribution of rivers, flood plains and their attraction for human settlement. Other factors such as heavy rain, inadequate drainage systems and structural failures of dams are contributing to the recent rise. These severe episodic events are capable of extensive topographic activities and bring about a dramatic consequence in the landscape. This can be seen in various states in India, especially in Assam.
The impact of the floods on the agriculture of Assam is devastating. As much as seventy percent of the flood loss in Assam is accounted for by crop damage (Goswami 1998). In the year 2004, Assam experienced one of its most severe floods in recent times. 12.6 million people were affected and with 497 of them, killed in floods. One million cattle and 6.6 million houses were lost (Central Water Commission 2018).
Information about Assam floods that is accessible to the public are in the form of research papers and spreadsheets. This makes it hard for people to search for the information and comprehend them.