The State government has decided to provide ₹10,000 as immediate financial assistance to affected families if there is recurrence of a 2019-like flood situation during 2020-21.

The Disaster Management Department has issued orders approving the proposal, pointing out that the guidelines issued in 2019 would be applicable in this regard. The decision has been taken after a demand arose that guidelines similar to the ones issued in 2019 should be adopted this year as well.

In August last year, the State witnessed disaster on a large scale following torrential rain, floods and landslips. The same month, the government issued orders for issuing ₹10,000 as immediate financial assistance to the families affected. Back then, the government appointed a two-member panel at the regional level comprising the village officer and the secretary of the local body concerned to identify the beneficiaries. The money for providing the immediate relief was sourced from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

Normal monsoon forecast

This year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a normal southwest monsoon for the whole country. In Kerala, the State Disaster Management Authority has issued directions for tackling contingencies at the local level and the State requested the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to position additional teams in various districts.