Floodwaters on the Kanjikuzhi-Thiruvanchoor Road following heavy rain in Kottayam, Kerala, on August 3, 2026.
| Photo Credit: VISHNU PRATHAP
The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) announced ₹8 lakh each as financial assistance to the kin of those killed in the torrential rainfall and floods that ravaged large parts of the State over the past week.
The death toll has risen to 26 even as four people are still missing, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan told a post-Cabinet briefing in Thiruvananthapuram.
Across districts, 27,048 people are currently lodged at 462 relief camps. The highest number of camps are in Pathanamthitta (157), Kottayam (154) and Alappuzha (81) districts.
As part of the relief measures, the Cabinet decided to increase the compensation for ‘fully damaged’ houses from ₹4 lakh to ₹6 lakh and that for loss of both land and house, from ₹10 lakh to ₹12 lakh.
Of the ₹8 lakh announced to kin of the deceased, ₹4 lakh will drawn be from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and ₹2 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) and the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
Crop loss
A preliminary assessment has pegged losses to the State’s farm sector at ₹67.44 crore. Crop damage has been reported in 1,882 hectares, affecting 23,537 farmers, the Chief Minister said, adding that the losses are likely to be slightly higher when the final figures are out. The Cabinet also decided to increase the per-hectare compensation for crop loss by 25%, as the present amount is “very low,” the Chief Minister.
In addition to these measures, the Chief Minister announced ₹10,000 each to residents of waterlogged houses, irrespective of whether they are in relief camps or not. The assistance will be finalised after inspection by village officers/government officials. As part of a related proposal, shops that sustained damages in the floods would be provided ₹10,000 each. Mr. Satheesan described this as “a new proposal which was not there even during the 2018 and 2019 floods.”
The government will also provide ₹10,000 for performing the final rites of the victims.
Soft loan scheme
The Chief Minister also announced the Ujjeevana soft loan scheme for propping up micro, small and medium enterprises MSME) and other small businesses impacted by the rain havoc. The scheme offers support for availing bank loans up to ₹12 lakh. It consists of three schemes; in the first, the government will pay ‘margin money’ to the bank equivalent to 25% of the loan amount or ₹3 lakh, whichever is lower. If the applicant does not opt for this scheme, the government will pay 9% interest on the loan to the bank for five years. Thirdly, the second option will be available to people who had taken bank loans prior to the disaster and find the repayment difficult.
State honours for swimming instructor
R. Rajesh, a swimming instructor who died while attempting to rescue a 61-year-old man during the flash floods in Kannur, will be accorded State honours, the Chief Minister said. The body of Rajesh, a native of Kalliyoor in Thiruvananthapuram, was recovered on Tuesday. The government will also provide assistance to complete the construction of his house, the Chief Minister said.
Published – August 05, 2026 01:34 pm IST
