Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan.
| Photo Credit: Nirmal Harindran
The Kerala government will establish a state-of-the-art disaster resilience system in Pathanamthitta on a pilot basis to strengthen preparedness against recurring floods, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said on Tuesday (August 4, 2026).Announcing the initiative after reviewing the flood relief operations in the district, which has been reeling under severe flooding for the past four days, Mr. Satheesan said the system would comprise a denser network of rain gauges and an advanced early warning mechanism developed in association with climate research institutions such as the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) and the Hume Centre.Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan visiting a flood relief camp at Thottappuzhassery Chirayirambu LP School in Pathanamthitta on Tuesday.video: special arrangement pic.twitter.com/qPYrEYXTAc— The Hindu - Kerala (@THKerala) August 4, 2026“The challenge in Pathanamthitta is the increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events and cloudbursts. They leave us with very little time to respond and evacuate people safely,” he said, while also confirming reports of a major landslide and several minor landslips inside forest areas.Declining carrying capacity of riversThe Chief Minister attributed the worsening flood situation in the district partly to the declining carrying capacity of the rivers. He said the Pampa and other major rivers had been clogged with silt, sand and debris deposited during the devastating 2018 floods and subsequent flood events.“We have not paid adequate attention to maintaining the carrying capacity of our rivers despite repeated floods since 2018. Once the floodwaters recede, our immediate priority will be to desilt the rivers and restore their capacity,” he said.Mr. Satheesan said around 64,000 people were being housed in 133 relief camps across the district. District authorities has been directed to open additional camps once the strength of any camp exceeded 150 inmates to avoid overcrowding.Rejecting allegations of delays in supplying food and medicines to relief camps, he said the police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies had been working round the clock to provide assistance.“Medical teams are conducting regular health checks in the camps. Besides government doctors, teams from several private hospitals are also providing medical care. Families returning home will be supplied chlorine to disinfect their wells,” he said.Financial aidThe government would also provide a cash assistance of ₹10,000 to each flood-affected household to help clean and restore damaged homes, the Chief Minister said.Minister PC Vishnunadh and Aranmula legislator Abin Varkey were among those present at the review meeting.Following the meeting, the Chief Minister also visited the relief camps opened in Aranmula. Published - August 04, 2026 02:27 pm IST
