An emergency meeting chaired by Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Monday (August 3, 2026) in view of the rain-related disasters reported from various districts in the State has decided to make special preparations in Pathanamthitta to tackle the flood situation in different parts of the district.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, the Chief Minister said the overall situation was under control. The Disaster Management Secretary had already convened a review meeting and initiated precautionary measures.

The Chief Minister said the flooding was triggered by extremely heavy rainfall, with some places receiving more than 350 mm of rain. He clarified that no major dams in the State had been opened because of the heavy rainfall. Only minor dams, such as Moozhiyar, which has comparatively low storage capacity, had released water.

Mr. Satheesan also claimed that the delay in receiving timely forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) created difficulties during the initial hours of the extreme rainfall as the State relies primarily on IMD forecasts to monitor weather conditions.

So far, 15 people have died and seven others remain missing in rain-related incidents across the State. The disaster has destroyed around 165 hectares of crops, affecting more than 3,500 farmers. A total of 11,018 people are currently accommodated in 316 relief camps, he said.

The Chief Minister said an immediate assistance of ₹10,000 would be provided to the families of the deceased to meet funeral expenses. Another ₹10,000 would be given to families returning from relief camps to help clean their flood-affected houses.

He said the financial assistance for the families of those who lost their lives in the disaster remains ₹8 lakh. The compensation for families whose houses are completely washed away in landslips and cannot be rebuilt has been increased from ₹10 lakh to ₹12 lakh. The assistance for constructing a new house has been enhanced from ₹4 lakh to ₹6 lakh.

The Chief Minister warned that strict action would be taken against those spreading false information, including rumours that water was being released from dams. He said circulating misinformation through social media that creates panic among the public is unacceptable and would invite legal action.