Shutter of Parambikulam Dam to be fixed after water level recedes further

Palakkad: Flood risk in the low-lying areas along the banks of Chalakudy River in central Kerala has waned a day after water influx following a snag in one shutter of the Parambikulam Dam in Palakkad district. However, the authorities may have to wait for a few days to fix the shutter as they want the water level to plummet further.

It would take more than three days to repair the damaged shutter. The water level must drop by 27 feet so that the flow of water through the damaged shutter stops. Repair works can be done only after the water level drops. According to the data last night, the water level has dropped by 11 feet, the dam authorities stated.

By Wednesday evening, the quantity of water flowing through the shutters has dropped. While 20,000 cusecs (Cubic feet per second) of water flowed through the shutters in the morning, by evening it dropped to 15,200 cusecs.

As reported earlier one of the three shutters of the Parambikulam Dam, which is under Tamil Nadu’s control, was damaged on Wednesday around 1.30 am and water gushed out.

Subsequently, the water flow to Chalakudy River, which is a tributary of the Periyar, increased. All the six shutters of the Peringalkuthu Dam, which is on Chalakudy River, had to be raised.

The water gushed into the Peringalkuthu Dam through the Kuriyarkutti River. From 3 am, the six gates of the Peringalkuthu Dam were raised in a phased manner letting the water into the Chalakkudy River.