Kerala, Aug 12: The death toll, following unprecedented rains in Kerala, climbed to 37 on Saturday evening. With the state facing incessant rain havoc, a total of eight districts — Idukki, Wayanad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam — have been put on high alert. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that heavy to very heavy rains are expected in most places in the next two days.

The rains have left nearly 54,000 people homeless and 31,000 in relief camps. More than 500 relief camps have been set up and over 15,600 people have been evacuated from the affected areas. 14 teams of NDRF have been set up and deployed in various parts to carry out the rescue work. “Besides the NDRF, adequate columns of Army, Navy and Coast Guard, Helicopters of Indian Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard are deployed…for assisting the state administration in lifting and dropping of essential commodities,” a statement said.

By the Saturday evening, however, thousands living around the Idukki dam and in Ernakulam and Thrissur heaved a sigh of relief as the heavy rains predicted in Kerala did not pour and as a result, the Idukki dam waters ravaging the area subsided.

“The rains have slowed down in and around the Idukki dam since last night and hence the water level in the dam has also come down. So far things are fine and everything is going as planned. The water that came down the five floodgates, barring at Cheruthoni, has not caused any major crisis,” State Power Minister M.M. Mani was quoted as saying by IANS.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will conduct an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Kerala on Sunday. Rajnath Singh will be accompanied by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism K. J. Alphons and other senior officers from the Ministry. The Union Minister is expected to review the search, rescue and relief measures that have been taken by the state government over the last few days.

Earlier on Saturday, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Kerala along with the leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala. Vijayan also met the people affected due to flood in Wayanad and announced ex-gratia Rs 4 Lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased. He also announced Rs 10 Lakh compensation to those who lost their houses and land, news agency ANI reported.</s>Flash floods in Kerala have killed 37 people and displaced around 36,000, Indian officials said Saturday, after heavy monsoons led to landslides and overflowing reservoirs across the southern state.

Kerala, famed for its pristine palm-lined beaches and tea plantations, is battered by the monsoon every year but the rains have been particularly severe this season.

Those forced from their homes "have moved to 350 relief camps across the state", an official at the Kerala State Disaster Management control room told AFP.

The army has been roped in for rescue efforts in Kerala after two days of heavy rain drove authorities to open the shutters of 27 reservoirs to drain out the excess water.

One of the five shutters of a large reservoir in the mountainous Idukki district was opened for the first time in 26 years.

"Our state is in the midst of an unprecedented flood havoc," Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.

"The calamity has caused immeasurable misery and devastation. Many lives were lost. Hundreds of homes were totally destroyed," he added, lauding the efforts of rescue teams working in the state from across India.

The US embassy Thursday advised its citizens to avoid the areas affected and monitor local media for weather updates.

More than a million foreign tourists visited Kerala last year, according to official data.

The government of Kerala, which has a population of 33 million people, has imposed a ban on the movement of lorries and tourist vehicles in Idukki.</s>THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After being pounded by rains for the past few days, there was a brief let-up in the downpour on Saturday. However, the state government remained on high alert with more rains forecast, even as the toll in the monsoon fury since August 8 climbed to 37.Though there was a respite from rains across the state today, especially in catchment areas of Idukki dam, the Indian Meteorological Department issued a 'Red alert',asking people to be cautious as there was a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in most places in Idukki, Wayanad, Kannur, Ernakulam, Palakkad and Malappuram.Two fishermen drowned today when their boat capsized off Thiruvananthapuram coast, while in an another incident, the bodies of a mother and daughter were found in a waterlogged area behind their house at Kuttanad in Alappuzha district.Four more bodies were recovered from other parts of the state, taking the toll to 37, official sources said.With the let up in the rains, life is limping back to normal in affected areas, including Palakkad and Waynad, where flood waters have started receding.The number of people relocated to relief camps increased to 60,622 on Saturday. As many as 531 relief camps, mostly in Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Wayanad districts, are functioning in the state now.The state has witnessed 25 landslides in the past three days of which 21 were reported in Idukki alone. As per the records with the revenue officials, a total of 1,501 houses were damaged in rain and flood. As many as 101 houses were completely destroyed.Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the relatives of those who died in the spell of rain, while people whose houses were destructed will get a compensation of Rs 10 lakh.The water level at the Idukki dam reservoir came down to 2400.60 ft at 4pm on Saturday.KSEB officials said they would consider reducing the discharge of water only when the water level falls below 2400ft.Vijayan, who undertook an aerial survey of rain ravaged areas of Idukki and Wayanad, said Kerala was in the midst of an unprecedented flood havoc and the calamity has caused "immeasurable misery and devastation."Later in a Facebook post, Vijayan said agricultural loss was to the tune of crores of rupees and several houses were damaged.Many bridges and roads were also destroyed, he said.It would take months for life to come back to normal and help and assistance from all quarters was needed, he said.For the first time in the state's history, sluice gates of 27 dams were opened, he said, adding never before had the state witnessed a calamity on this scale.The entire state machinery is working in unison to provide drinking water, food and clothes to people living in relief camps, he added.Union home minister Rajnath Singh will undertake an aerial survey of flood-hit Kerala tomorrow to take stock of the situation in the southern state. CM Vijayan will also discuss the situation with Rajnath.In a telephonic conversation yesterday, Singh had assured Vijayan all central help to the state government to deal with the rains and floods.(With inputs from PTI)</s>After being pounded by rains for the past few days, there was a brief let-up in the downpour on Saturday but the government remained on high alert with more rains forecast, even as the toll in the monsoon fury since August 8 climbed to 37.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who undertook an aerial survey of rain ravaged areas of Idukki and Wayanad, said Kerala was in the midst of an unprecedented flood havoc and the calamity has caused "immeasurable misery and devastation."

He said Rs 10 lakh compensation would be given to people who lost their homes and land and Rs four lakh to those who lost a member of their family.

Though there was a respite from rains across the state on Saturday, especially in catchment areas of Idukki dam, the Indian Meteorological Department issued a 'Red alert', asking people to be cautious as there was a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in most places in Idukki, Wayanad, Kannur, Ernakulam, Palakkad and Malappuram.

READ ALSO: Heavy To Very Heavy Rainfall Expected In 16 States In Next Two Days: NDMA

Two fishermen drowned today when their boat capsized off Thiruvananthapuram coast, while in an another incident,the bodies of a mother and daughter were found in a waterlogged

area behind their house at Kuttanad in Alappuzha district.

Four more bodies were recovered from other parts of the state, taking the toll to 37, official sources said. With the let up in the rains, life is limping back to normal in affected areas, including Palakkad and Waynad, where flood waters have started receding.

A total of 35,874 people have been put up in 341 relief camps across Kerala, officials at the state Disaster Management control room said.

A total of 580 houses were partially damaged and 44 fully, they said, adding crops in 1301 hectares have been destroyed.

According to Indian National Centre for Ocean information services, there was a possibility of flooding in low-lying coastal areas in Kerala, especially during high tide timings due to 'Perigean spring tides' from August 11-15.

The government machinery, as well as the Army, Navy and Coast Guard continued to remain alert to deal with the threats of flooding in parts of Ernakulam district and banks of the Periyar river following release of water from Idukki dam.

KSEB sources said the water release from the dam was being closely monitored. At present 7.50 lakh litres of water was being released by the dam per second.

This discharge would continue till the water level in the giant reservoir reaches the 2400 feet level, sources said. Union home minister Rajnath Singh will undertake an aerial survey of some flood-hit areas and hold discussions with the Chief Minister at Kochi tomorrow.

 Earlier, due to inclement weather, the chief minister's helicopter could not land at Kattapana in Idukki, where he had called a meeting to review the situation in the backdrop of the opening of five shutters of the Idukki Dam, government sources said.

The helicopter later left for Wayanad. Announcing the compensation after chairing a review

meeting at Wayanad, Vijayan said all families housed in relief camps would be provided Rs 3,800 each.

Vijayan was acompanied by Opposition leader in the assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, Revenue minister E Chandrasekharan and senior officials during the aerial survey.

The chief minister also held review meetings and met people at some relief camps to hear their woes. Later in a Facebook post, Vijayan said agricultural loss was to the tune of crores of rupees and several houses were damaged.

Many bridges and roads were also destroyed, he said. It would take months for life to come back to normal and help and assistance from all quarters was needed, he said.

For the first time in the state's history, sluice gates of 27 dams were opened, he said, adding never before had the state witnessed a calamity on this scale.

 The entire state machinery is working in unison to provide drinking water, food and clothes to people living in relief camps, he added.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh will undertake an aerial survey of Kerala on Sunday to take stock of the situation in the southern state.

Singh, accompanied by tourism minister KJ Alphons and senior officers from the ministry of home affairs, will visit the floods and landslides affected areas, a home ministry statement said.

He will review the search, rescue and relief measures taken by the Kerala government and central government agencies with Vijayan,

Ministers of the state government, the chief secretary besides the senior officers of the central agencies and the state administration, the statement said.</s>KOCHI, India (Reuters) - More than half of the 14 districts in India’s Kerala state have been put on high alert, officials said on Saturday, as the death toll from one of the worst floods in the southern state reached 34.

Torrential rains and landslides during India’s June-September monsoon season have ravaged farmlands and prompted massive evacuation efforts in Kerala state.

Crops on 1,031 hectares (2547.66 acres) have been damaged and 31,000 people have been forced to take shelter in rescue camps, according to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority’s (KSDMA) control room in the state capital.

A senior official there said eight districts had been put on varying levels of high alert.

Another government official previously told Reuters that crop worth 3.42 billion rupees ($49.65 million), across 26,824 hectares had been destroyed by rains since their onset on May 29.

P.H. Kurian, KSDMA’s chief and a top state bureaucrat, said rains had eased.

“There was no rain in the catchment areas of major reservoirs today,” Kurian said. “However, we will continue our alert and preparedness till August 15.”

Federal home minister Rajnath Singh was expected to travel to the state on Sunday to take a stock of the relief and rescue operations, Kurian added.

Kerala state authorities have taken the unprecedented step of opening the gates of 25 water reservoirs to prevent potentially disastrous breaches.

The state, which has 44 rivers, witnessed its worst floods in 1924 following torrential rains.

The weather department forecast heavy rains until August 15, India’s Independence Day, also warning of flooding in low-lying coastal areas. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Arabian sea.

Despite the rains, tens of hundreds of Hindus across the state gathered on the banks of rivers and roads to perform a ritual in honor of their ancestors.</s>Kerala floods, rain, weather Live Updates: Kerala flood situation stoked by incessant rains turned from bad to worse with 26 people having lost their lives so far due to rain-related incidents and landslides. Army and NDRF teams have been deployed to tackle the situations. Three shutters of the Idukki dam have been opened even as the water level touched 2401 ft. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more rain in 8 districts across Kerala in the next 48 hours. Heavy rains for past two days and release of water from the Idamalayar dam yesterday resulted in localised flooding in low lying areas in the northern districts of Kerala. The flood water also triggered a landslide in some places.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and offered all possible assistance to those affected. “Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the situation arising due to floods in various parts of the state. Offered all possible assistance to those affected. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Kerala in the wake of this calamity,” the PM said in a tweet.

An advisory has been issued by the US in the wake of heavy rains and floods in the state, asking its citizens not to visit Kerala because of the flash floods in the state. “Avoid all areas throughout Kerala affected by landslides and flash floods,” it read.</s>Kerala has been pounded due to heavy downpour, resulting in the swelling of rivers and flooding in several parts.

New Delhi: As Kerala faces heavy downpour and flash floods which has led to 22 persons being killed in the past 48 hours, Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Friday assured in Lok Sabha that the Centre will provide all possible help to the affected state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day spoke with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the wake of heavy rains and floods in the state, and offered all possible assistance to those affected.

“Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the situation arising due to floods in various parts of the state. Offered all possible assistance to those affected. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Kerala in the wake of this calamity,” Mr Modi said in a tweet.

Mr Singh said he had also sent Kiren Rijiju, his deputy in the ministry, to the state for a survey of the affected areas.

Meanwhile the Indian Air Force (IAF) has already begun helping the state in relief and rescue operations.“We will provide all necessary assistance to the state,” Mr Singh told the MPs from Kerala during the Zero Hour.

CPI(M) leader P Karunakaran said six districts in the state have been badly affected. At least 20 people have died in the Idukki district due to heavy rains and floods., while five people lost their lives in Wayanad, he said demanding military assistance.

Congress MP K C Venugopal said Wayanad district in the state has been cut off from the rest of Kerala due to landslides.

“For the first time, shutters of 22 dams were opened to release excess water while water from the Idukki reservoir was also released after 26 years, flooding the Periyar River,” Mr Venugopal said and demanded a special financial package for the state.

Kerala has been pounded due to heavy downpour, resulting in the swelling of rivers and flooding in several parts.

A defence ministry statement issued later in the day said that after the Kerala government had requested IAF to provide urgent assistance in Wayanad district, it had responded immediately to the crisis and is extending all possible assistance to the people affected by landslides and floods in Kerala through Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) missions.

Five An-32 transport aircraft were deployed to transport NDRF teams and their equipment from Arakkonam to Calicut on 09 Aug 18.

In addition, two NDRF teams from Vijaywada and two team of Army Engineering Group from Bangalore & Hyderabad have been transported to Calicut, the statement added.

Two Mi-17 V5 helicopter and one Advance Light Helicopter (ALH) has been pressed into service for distribution of relief material and winching operations.</s>Death toll mounts to 37, Rajnath Singh to visit flood-hit Kerala on Sunday

Union home minister Rajnath Singh was expected to travel to the state on Sunday to take a stock of the relief and rescue operations, Kurian added.</s>The United States has issued an advisory, asking its citizens not to visit Kerala because of the flash floods in the state.

In the advisory, the US said the heavy southwest monsoon rains triggered landslides and floods in the state, and American citizens should avoid visiting all affected areas in the state.

"Avoid all areas throughout Kerala affected by landslides and flash floods," it read.

At least 22 people have died in Kerala due to incessant rainfall and flooding in the past two days, the Home Ministry said on Thursday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the situation as "very grim".

With water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost their maximum capacity, shutters of at least 22 reservoirs in Kerala have been opened to drain out the excess water.

Heavy rains for the past two days and release of water from the Idamalayar dam yesterday, resulted in flooding in low-lying areas in the northern districts of Kerala.

The flood water also triggered landslides at some places.</s>Terming the flood situation in Kerala following heavy rains as something never witnessed by the state since Independence, Union Home Minister on Sunday announced Rs 1 billion as immediate central relief.

The minister, who made an aerial survey of badly affected areas in Idukki and Ernakulam districts, said the rains and floods had caused "massive damage" to the farm sector and infrastructure like roads and power.

"Kerala is facing an unprecedented flood situation. It is unprecedented because never before in the history of independent India has Kerala witnessed such massive floods," he told reporters here.

He was speaking after reviewing the situation with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Minister of State for Tourism Kannanthanam, state ministers and senior officials.

Singh assured all help from the Centre to meet the "very serious situation".

"I understand the suffering of the people of Kerala from the present crisis. Since assessment of the damage will take time, I hereby announce immediate relief as advance of Rs 1 billion," the Minister said.

The state government submitted a memorandum to Singh, seeking urgent sanction of Rs 12.2 billion from the Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) to meet the situation.

In the memorandum, the Chief Minister said preliminary estimates suggested that Kerala suffered a loss of Rs 83.16 billion in the rains, floods and landslides.



Singh recalled the flood situation in Kerala last month and said that just before he came to the state today, he sanctioned release of the second instalment of Rs 802.5 million in advance for the State Disaster Relief Fund.

The first instalment of a similar amount of the Central share of SDRF for 2018-19 was released last month, he said.

"The Centre is extremely sensitive to the needs of the Kerala at this critical juncture," he said.

The Minister said three teams of NDRF had been pre positioned in Kerala during the current monsoon season.

"Eleven more have been deployed in the state, taking the total number of to 14. If needed we will press in additional teams," Singh said in a tweet.

Earlier, Singh visited a relief camp at Elanthikkara in Paravur Taluk in Ernakulam district.

"Today we conducted an aerial survey of flood affected areas with the Chief Minister and I reached the conclusion that the situation is very serious in Kerala due to floods," he said.

"And I would like to assure the state government that all sorts of support will be provided by the central government to meet the challenges of the flood situation," he said.

Singh also heard the grievances of people who lost their homes and land in the floods.



The Minister made an aerial survey of areas affected by landslides and rains in Idukki and Ernakulam districts.

He was accompanied by Vijayan, Alphons, and Additional Chief Secretary P H Kurian.

After a brief lull, rains started lashing several parts of Kerala since this morning, posing problems to relief work by multiple agencies in flood and landslide hit regions.

However, water level in Idukki and Idamalayar dams reduced, bringing some relief, with authorities saying there was no need for people living downstream to panic.

No fresh casualties were reported since Saturday and the toll in the rain-related incidents since the current monsoon fury from August 8 stood at 37, officials said.



Thousands of people have been accommodated in relief camps set up in different areas, including in Wayand, where over 14,000 people had been sheltered.

Ten columns of the Army, a unit of Madras Regiment along with personnel of the Navy, Air Force andNDRF are engaged in relief and rescue work in badly-hit districts, including Kozhikode, Idukki, Malappuram, Kannur and Wayanad, Defence sources said.

The Disaster Management Authority had yesterday warned that heavy to very heavy rains were expected in 16 states, including Kerala, till tomorrow.

The weather department has issued a 'Red alert', asking people to be cautious as there was a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in most places in Idukki, Wayanad, Kannur, Ernakulam, Palakkad and Malappuram districts.
The death toll from heavy floods that triggered landislides in Kerala, India, which started on 8 July, rises to 37.