Idukki: Shutters of several dams in Kerala were raised on Friday as a result of the increased inflow following heavy rainfall in the region over the last several days. The state, however, got some respite as rains subsided in many parts.
The shutters of the Malampuzha Dam, the second largest dam in Kerala, were raised a little after 3 pm on Friday. Four shutters of the dam were raised by 10 cm each.
Ten shutters of the Mullaperiyar dam, managed by Tamil Nadu government, were raised by 30 centimetres each by Friday evening as the water level in the 126-year-old reservoir touched over 137 feet.
The water level was at 137.85 around 9 pm and 2,096 cusecs of water was being released. The authorities have warned the people residing downstream along the banks of Periyar river to remain cautious.
Water released from the dam reached the first residential area of Vallakkadavu through the Periyar within 20 minutes. The water flows through Manjumala, Vandiperiyar, Mlamala, Shanthippalam, Chappath, Aalady, Upputhara and Ayyappankovil to join Idukki reservior.
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Orange alert will be issued for the Kaki-Anathode dam if the water level rises by 0.44 meters.
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Blue alert sounded in Pampa. A blue alert has been issued at the Pampa dam in Pathanamthitta.
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Water level of Idukki dam stands at 82.06 pc (2381.52 ft) of full capacity.
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Orange alert issued in Idukki dam; water level reaches at 2381.52 feet
Holiday declared
The district collector has declared a holiday for all educational institutions, from anganwadis to professional colleges, in Alappuzha district on Saturday in view of the persisting rain situation.
The Pathanamthitta collector has declared holiday on Saturday for educational institutions in the district where relief camps are operational.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued an Orange alert for the day indicating isolated heavy rainfall for Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts of Kerala.
Orange alert for Idukki dam
Meanwhile, the water level at the Idukki dam has reached 2,381.52 feet which was 82.06 per cent of its full reservoir level (FRL) prompting the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), which manages the dam, to issue an Orange alert.
Orange alert is issued when water level reaches 2,381.53 feet. Red alert will be issued once the water level reaches 2,382.53 feet. The FRL of Idukki dam is 2,403 feet.
The Idukki reservoir consists of two dams, the Arch dam and the Cheruthoni dam. The shutters of Cheruthoni dam were opened for the first time in 26 years in 2018, to mitigate the worst flood faced by the state in a century.
Death toll reaches 20
Meanwhile, one more person died taking the death toll to 20 in the state since July 31.
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said a total of three people are still missing while four have been injured in the recent rain fury. There are 11 NDRF teams, one column of Army and two DSC teams in the state.
There are 342 active camps across the state with Thrissur and Pathanamthitta having the most numbers, 88 and 69, respectively. A total of 12,195 people are accommodated in these camps, SDMA said.
It also added that 36 houses were fully damaged while 282 houses were destroyed partially in the state.
Earlier in the day, State Revenue Minister K Rajan told the media that the IMD has predicted the rains will now move to southern Karnataka. "Today, the rain alerts are in northern districts of Kerala," he said.
A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while orange alert means very heavy rains of 6 cm to 20 cm. A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 and 11 cm. (With inputs from PTI)
