Flood in the rice bowl: Keralites who lost everything stare at uncertainty

The main day of this year's Onam falls on Saturday. Though devastated by floods, Keralites will put on their happy faces to welcome King Mahabali, the mythical, righteous king who must have watched from netherworld the sufferings of his people and now 'comes to visit them'.

This festival falls on the tenth day from the day of Atham, during the Malayalam month of Chingam. On this occasion, people dress in the attire of Mahabali and take over the roads and shopping malls in Kerala. Celebrations abound.

One of the most popular sites during this time is Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala and one of the major Ramsar sites (wetlands which have international importance). The snake boat races and greenery of Kuttanad are huge attractions for tourists who flock there. This time though, almost the entire Kuttanad is in relief camps, in Alappuzha and Changanessery, as the flood waters, which have taken over their agricultural lands, refuse to recede.

The roads in Kuttanad, which are usually flanked by paddy fields in various shades of green, are inundated by flood water. A few houses dot the deluge.

Kerala floods LIVE: Kochi airport faces Rs 2.2 bn loss; UAE offers Rs 7 bn

Kerala floods: The situation in the flood-ravaged state was gradually improving, even as some rainfall was forecast for the coastal state from Monday onwards. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, “heavy rainfall” is expected only in Kozhikode, Kannur and Idduki districts over the next four days. However, even as water recedes from major areas, authorities are gearing up to deal with the possible outbreak of water-borne and air-borne diseases.

Commercial flight operations from the Naval airport at Kochi commenced today with the first Air India flight from Bengaluru arriving this morning. It is after 18 years that civilian flights are landing and taking off from the naval airport.

The Indian Railways said that two special trains will be run on Monday from Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam to Kolkata and that the train services are expected to be restored on all lines in Kerala by Monday evening. The Railways would also provide blankets and bedsheets to the affected people in Kerala.

Kerala floods LIVE: 324 lives lost, tweets CM; Kochi metro back on track

Kerela Floods Live - Unprecedented rains continue to wreak havoc across Kerala, and have brought the coastal state to a standstill. "As many as 324 people have lost their lives due to rains, floods and landslides," tweeted chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

According to the Home Ministry's National Emergency Response Centre (NERC), 247 people have died in Kerala, while 2,11,000 people in 14 districts have been badly hit by the rains and floods, and over 32,500 hectares of crops damaged.

Personnel of the three services, besides the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) resumed the gigantic task of evacuating people stranded on rooftops and highlands where hills came crashing down blocking roads and cutting them off the rest of the world, and those marooned in villages that have turned into islands.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reach the state Friday evening and is likely to undertake an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas on Saturday.