Low-pressure area forms in the Arabian Sea

The state is in for heavy rainfall over the next few days with a low-pressure area forming in the southeast Arabian Sea on Friday.
Red alert issued for Idukki and Malappuram districts for Sunday stays
Red alert issued for Idukki and Malappuram districts for Sunday stays

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state is in for heavy rainfall over the next few days with a low-pressure area forming in the southeast Arabian Sea on Friday. The low-pressure formation is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm and cut a swathe towards the Oman coast over the weekend, the IMD said. “Under the influence of the cyclonic circulation over Southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Lakshadweep-Maldives area, a low-pressure area has formed over southeast Arabian Sea and neighbourhood.

It is very likely to become more marked during the next 12 hours, concentrate into a depression and move north-westwards during subsequent 24 hours,’’ the IMD said. While the potential cyclone will bypass the Indian coast as it is expected to take a north-west path, Kerala can expect heavy to very rainfall in the coming days and extremely heavy rainfall in some places on Sunday.

The IMD has maintained the red alert issued for Idukki and Malappuram for Sunday. According to the IMD, the state is likely to receive heavy (seven to 11 cm in 24 hours) to very heavy rainfall (12 to 20 cm in 24 hours) on Saturday and Monday. On Sunday, the state can expect very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall (21 cm and above in 24 hrs) at one or two places.

ONE shutter of the Cheruthoni dam in Idukki will be opened at 6 am on Saturday, pending approval from the district administration. The decision was taken by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) on Friday evening on reviewing the water level in the light of the red alert declared for Idukki. A KSEB spokesperson said 50 cumecs of water will be released when the shutter is opened.

At 5 pm on Friday, the water level in the dam stood at 2,387.68 ft. Although the district administration had issued an approval for the discharge of water by 4 pm on Friday, the KSEB had called off the plan as the water level had dipped slightly by evening. At 2,387.68 ft, the level is still 15 ft lower than the full reservoir level of the dam, which is 24,03 ft, but the KSEB decided to open one shutter at Cheruthoni anyway in view of the red alert.

“If, by any chance, the red alert gets downgraded, we will not open the shutters at Cheruthoni,” said the KSEB spokesperson. By Thursday, shutters were open at 12 of the 14 dams under the KSEB that have shutters. Of the 12 dams that are open, no water is presently flowing out of Pampa, Kakki and Idamalayar dams as the water level is below the crest level. The power utility had started releasing water from Kundala, Mattupetty, Neriamangalam and Ponmudi dams on Thursday itself. “The shutters of all major dams, including Idamalayar, Kakki-Pampa and Banasurasagar, have been opened. There is no emergency situation, but we will hold a review meeting at 10.30 am on Saturday to assess the situation,” said KSEB chairman N S Pillai.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com