Flood death toll rises to 26, govt announces relief package
WITH floodwaters slowly receding in several parts of Kerala but fresh spells of heavy rain and strong winds forecast over the next five days, the state government on Wednesday unveiled an extensive relief package for flood victims while announcing a long-term disaster resilience programme aimed at preventing a repeat of the annual monsoon devastation.
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, addressing the post-Cabinet media briefing, said 26 people have died, 11 were injured, and four remain missing in this year's rain-related incidents.
At present, 27,048 people are staying in 462 relief camps, with the government ensuring that no camp houses more than 150 inmates to improve living conditions.
The Chief Minister said preliminary assessments indicate that 1,882 hectares of agricultural land have been damaged, causing losses estimated at Rs 67 crore, while 23,507 farmers have been affected.
The Cabinet approved a series of enhanced relief measures.
The families of those killed will receive Rs 8 lakh as compensation, while families whose homes were inundated will be given Rs 10,000 as immediate assistance.
A further Rs 10,000 will be provided towards funeral expenses.
Assistance for destroyed houses has been increased to Rs 12 lakh, while crop compensation will be enhanced by 25 per cent.
In a first for the state, small traders and shop owners affected by the floods will receive Rs 10,000 each.
The Cabinet also approved a special rehabilitation package for MSMEs, homestays and other eligible enterprises, offering soft loans up to Rs 12 lakh.
Beneficiaries can either avail government-funded margin money of 25 per cent of the loan amount, subject to a ceiling of Rs 3 lakh, or opt for an interest subsidy of nine per cent for five years.
After the India Meteorological Department's forecast for heavy winds and intense rainfall in parts of the state between August 5 and 8, Satheesan urged people to remain vigilant and strictly follow official advisories.
Looking beyond immediate relief, the government announced an ambitious Disaster Management Resilience Programme, which will use AI-driven dam management, advanced climate prediction, flood mapping and scientific monitoring to improve disaster preparedness.
Rivers and reservoirs will be desilted, including the removal of sediment deposited after the 2018 floods, to improve water flow before the next monsoon.
The Chief Minister said the AI-based dam management system, already announced in the State Budget, would become a national model for disaster management.
The Cabinet also decided to restore damaged coastal infrastructure and formulate a new housing scheme for fishermen.
The first instalment of the 2026-27 development fund for local bodies will be handed over.
Satheesan also announced that Rajesh, the scuba diver and veteran rescue volunteer who died during flood rescue operations, would be accorded a State funeral, and the government would complete and hand over a house to his family.
He further said compensation had been disbursed to the families of all 248 victims of the 2024 Thrissur flood disaster.
Responding to questions on the Punarjani project controversy, the Chief Minister maintained that multiple investigations, including successive Vigilance probes and an FCRA-related inquiry, had found no evidence of corruption, with the latest Vigilance report submitted on June 26 recommending that no further action be taken.
“It was I who sought a probe when this first surfaced in 2020. Two separate Vigilance probes had cleared me, and both took place when I was in the opposition,” added Satheesan.
