Guwahati: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has sought an explanation from the government over the gap between satellite-based flood monitoring and ground-level warnings in Assam, particularly during the flash floods that hit Upper Assam on July 19.
The issue came up after the Centre told the Lok Sabha that ISRO monitors floods in the Brahmaputra basin and shares satellite-based flood information with disaster management authorities within five to six hours of receiving satellite data.
The Department of Space provided the information in a written response to a question raised by Gogoi on August 5. According to the reply, ISRO supplied 45 flood inundation maps and other related products to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) during the 2025 monsoon. In the current monsoon season, 33 such products had been shared with the state authority till July 28.
The satellite-based monitoring system uses data from EOS-04 (RISAT-1A), Resourcesat-2, Resourcesat-2A, Cartosat-2E, and Cartosat-3. The information is made available through the National Database for Emergency Management, the Bhuvan platform and directly to ASDMA.
The Centre also said it has introduced measures to improve flood assessment and make the information more useful at the district level. These include semi-automated flood mapping, district-specific flood reports and high-resolution satellite imagery for assessing damage. However, the availability of cloud-free satellite images remains a factor in obtaining detailed information.
Gogoi questioned whether the existing system is effectively reaching district administrations in time to allow them to act during sudden flood events.
In a post on X, the Congress MP pointed to the July 19 flash floods in Sivasagar. He said the district's Deputy Commissioner had indicated that the administration had only about three hours to respond and that there had been no warning.
Gogoi said the Centre's claim of near real-time monitoring raises questions about why the information available through the system did not result in an earlier alert for the affected areas.
The July 19 flash floods caused major damage across parts of Upper Assam, with Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat and Charaideo among the affected districts.