Alia Bhatt appeals for support as Assam flood toll rises

Alia Bhatt used her Instagram Stories on Wednesday to appeal to fans for support as the flood situation in Assam continues to worsen.

“It happens every year and it still catches us off guard,” the actress wrote, pointing to the recurring toll the monsoon floods take on the state each year.

She went on to say, “Assam needs immediate relief right now, and it’ll need support for the long road to recovery,” stressing that both urgent aid and sustained rebuilding support would be needed.

Reports on her appeal cited a death toll of more than 60, later revised upward to 75 by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.

Around 4.45 lakh people across 631 villages have been affected by the floods, with many losing their homes, farmland and livestock.

Bhatt said she planned to use her platform in the coming days to highlight organisations engaged in relief work, tagging her posts with the hashtag #CircleOfHope.

She joins a growing list of Bollywood figures responding to the crisis, including Salman Khan, whose Being Human foundation has begun a multi-phase relief effort distributing food and essentials.

Bhumi Pednekar has also lent her support, while Ayushmann Khurrana and Tahira Kashyap have contributed directly to the Assam Chief Minister’s Flood Relief Fund.

The appeals come as rescue and relief operations continue across the flood-hit districts of Assam.

Among the worst-hit districts are Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat and Nagaon, where the Brahmaputra and its tributaries have risen above danger levels following days of heavy rainfall, and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed state ministers to coordinate relief and rehabilitation efforts across the affected regions.

Bollywood celebrities have a long history of using their social media platforms to draw national attention to disaster relief efforts, often crediting on-ground organisations directly to help channel donations more effectively.

(Image: Photo: Prime Minister’s Office (GODL-India), Wikimedia Commons)