Kerala floods explained: An unexpected spell of extremely heavy rainfall in early August has triggered flooding in several parts of Kerala, with Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts among the worst affected. Twenty-six people were killed and four others were missing in monsoon-related incidents while more than 27,000 were sheltering in around 460 relief camps as of Wednesday (August 5), said Chief Minister V D Satheesan. So how have these flash floods so rapidly submerged a chain of urban settlements in the state? Dwindling carrying capacity of Kerala riversStudies conducted by Kerala’s irrigation department have found that sedimentation in rivers and water bodies contributed to the intensity of the crisis. The water-holding capacity of rivers has significantly declined owing to the accumulation of silt and sand over the last decade.