Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The Central Government informed the Lok Sabha that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) supplied 78 flood inundation maps and value-added products to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) during the 2025 and 2026 monsoon seasons to support flood response and damage assessment.
Replying to an unstarred question by MP Gaurav Gogoi, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said that 45 flood maps were provided during the 2025 monsoon, while 33 maps were issued during the 2026 monsoon (up to July 28).
The union minister said ISRO used data from EOS-04 (RISAT-1A), which has a detail level of 18 metres, as well as Resourcesat-2/2A LISS-IV (5.8 m) and AWiFS (56 m) to create flood maps. For damage assessment, high-resolution imagery from Cartosat-2E (0.65 m and 1.6 m) and Cartosat-3 (0.28 m and 1.1 m) was also utilised.
According to the government, satellite-based flood inundation maps are disseminated to disaster management authorities within 5 to 6 hours of satellite data acquisition, enabling quicker response during flood emergencies.
The Centre further informed the House that near real-time (NRT) satellite-based flood monitoring is currently available for the Brahmaputra basin. Flood maps created with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and optical satellite data are shared through the National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM), the Bhuvan platform, and directly with ASDMA.
To further improve flood monitoring in Assam, ISRO has adopted globally available satellite data, developed semi-automated flood mapping workflows, and started generating district-level flood reports. Flood inundation data is now available on the NDEM portal for visualisation at district and sub-district levels, while high-resolution satellite imagery is used for district-level damage assessment whenever cloud-free data is available.
Meanwhile, MP Gaurav Gogoi wrote on his X handle, "The Government has confirmed, in response to my question, that ISRO provides near-real-time flood monitoring for the Brahmaputra basin, with flood data reaching ASDMA within 5-6 hours. Yet, the District Commissioner of Sivasagar has stated that the district had barely three hours to respond to the flash floods of 19 July, with no prior warning issued. The government must explain why available flood monitoring data did not result in timely alerts and preparedness on the ground."
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