No one can quite forget the photograph of water gushing down from one of the shutters of the Idukki dam at Cheruthoni the last time it was opened in 1992. A good 26 years on, the state waits with bated breath, not sure if history will be repeated. At another level, there is an effort to ensure no damage is done by the rumour mongerers; quite unlike the scenario that gets played out whenever the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam rises by a foot or two. Clearly, there can be no apple-to-apple comparison between the 2,395-feet water level in the Idukki dam and the 136-feet water level at the Mullaperiyar dam.
Yes, one can get away from the potential route of rushing waters when it is a planned release. The state government authorities did get adequate time to plan the release of water from the Idukki dam though there are also many who still believe there is no need for any water to be released. If anything, the day-long breather between two alerts—orange and red—has got the likes of the disaster management authority and the fire and rescue department trying to assuage the fears of the people. Sure, the situation may not come to pass if the water levels recede dramatically over the next few hours, though the Met department has forecast two more days of heavy rain.
The fire and rescue team has deployed units at eight potential trouble spots in Idukki and 14 such spots in Ernakulam district. Ominously, the biggest worry spots for them include Kothamangalam, Perumbavoor, Aluva and North Paravur, all densely populated towns. But one word missing from the standard operating procedure is evacuation. This is not surprising as similar scenarios are getting played out elsewhere. Water has already been released from Neyyar, Peppara, Aruvikkara, Mangala and Peechi dams, while Idamalayar, Kulamavu and Malampuzha dams will soon follow suit. As Kerala has turned into a big water world, even monsoon tourism has taken a backseat.