Heavy showers continued to batter parts of Kerala for the third consecutive day on Monday (August 3), taking the death toll to 18, despite a considerable reduction in the intensity of rain.

Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, who chaired an emergency meeting on Monday morning to review the flood situation, said the situation in most districts was now under control following a decline in rainfall. However, 18 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents, while three others remain missing, according to official figures.

A total of 13,496 people are currently sheltering in 363 relief camps across the State. Addressing a press conference after a review meeting attended by District Collectors, Ministers and senior officials, the Chief Minister said teams of the Fire and Rescue Services and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had been deployed in the worst-affected areas, including Pathanamthitta and Kottayam, to carry out rescue operations.

Floodwaters have begun receding in some parts of Pathanamthitta district, where 14 rescue boats were brought to Chengannur from Kollam, while two helicopters have been deployed in Thiruvananthapuram for emergency operations. The State has also requested two additional NDRF teams from Arakkonam. Preparations have been completed to air-drop food packets to people stranded in isolated areas. The Chief Minister urged residents in vulnerable locations to relocate immediately as instructed by authorities.

The government has announced a total compensation of ₹8 lakh for families of the deceased, with an immediate assistance of ₹10,000 to meet funeral expenses. Families returning from relief camps will be provided ₹10,000 to clean their houses. For a ration card-holding family that lost its livelihood, ₹300 each will be provided to two members. As part of the rehabilitation package, assistance for purchasing land and constructing a house has been increased from ₹10 lakh to ₹12 lakh, while compensation for those who have completely lost their houses has been raised from ₹4 lakh to ₹6 lakh.

Mr. Satheesan said the flooding was triggered by extremely heavy rainfall, with some places recording more than 350 mm of rain. He clarified that no major dams in the State had been opened because of the heavy rainfall. Only smaller dams with comparatively lower storage capacity, such as Moozhiyar, had released water. The current storage level in the Idukki reservoir is 38.91%, while Idamalayar stands at 46.64%. Smaller dams will be opened only with the approval of the respective district collectors. He also warned that strict action would be taken against those spreading false information about dam openings.

Crop damage

According to the preliminary assessment, crops on 165 hectares have been damaged, affecting 3,596 farmers. The Chief Minister said compensation for crop losses would be enhanced, with a decision expected at the next Cabinet meeting. He also announced that the Disaster Management Resilience Programme would be strengthened in collaboration with institutions, including Cochin University, to improve weather forecasting. The government will also take steps to remove the silt and sand deposited in rivers and dams.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological department (IMD) issued an orange alert for 12 districts on Tuesday, warning of intense heavy rainfall, while Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam have been placed under yellow alert where isolated heavy is expected. A holiday has been declared for the educational institutions in Thrissur, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Alappuzha, and Pathnamthitta on Tuesday.