IDUKKI: After a brief lull in the copious monsoon showers which provided some respite to the authorities here, the water level in the Idukki reservoir has started rising with the catchment areas receiving heavy rainfall since Tuesday evening. The catchment area on Wednesday received 122.8 mm of rain.
The water level recorded at 2 pm on Wednesday was 2,397.02 ft, which is just one ft short of the level at which the district administration plans to open the shutter of the Cheruthony Dam for the trial run. Earlier Power Minister MM Mani after visiting the dam said the shutter of the dam will be opened for the trial run once the water level reaches 2,398 ft. The authorities had issued a blue alert when the water level reached 2,390 ft while the orange alert was issued when it touched 2,395 ft. The total capacity of the dam is 2403 ft.
The latest rise in the reservoir’s water level has come as a rude shock since the region experienced balmy weather for the last four days. The water level recorded at 6 pm was 2,396. 20 ft. Barely an hour on, it rose by 0.06 ft pushing up the water level to 2396.26 ft.
However, the KSEB plans to release only a small quantum of water during the trial run so as not to set off a torrent. The authorities plan to open one of the five shutters, located in the central area, by 50 cm during the trial run. “The opening of the shutters requires 10 minutes of technical preparations, following which water will be released for four hours,” a KSEB officer said. The trial run will be held 24 hours after the warning has been issued to the people.
Additionally, power generation at the Moolamattam powerhouse was at a high of around 15 million cubes. The inflow into the dam was double than that of the water required for power generation. Four shutters of the the Malankara dam were opened on Wednesday. Authorities have issued warning to the people living on the banks of the Thodupuzha and Moovattupuzha.
Shutters of Thenmala-Parappar dam raised
Kollam: Shutters of the Thenmala-Parappar dam were opened due to heavy rain in the catchment area of the dam, on Wednesday. The shutters were raised by 15 cm as the water level reached 114.80 feet. The dam shutters were raised by 7.6 cm, two weeks ago. District Collector S Karthikeyan has issued an alert in the nearby regions and instructed the people living on the banks of the Kallada River to be extra cautious. The dam has a capacity to hold water up to 115.82 metres. The capacity of the reservoir has also been limited owing to the sand and silt deposit at the bottom. The Kallada Irrigation Project canal caters to Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha districts.
Banasurasagar dam shutters opened
An alert was issued in Wayanad district on Wednesday after four shutters of the Banasurasagar dam were opened in line with the rise in water levels in all major water bodies. According to a statement from the District Collector, water levels at Panamaram river and Kadamanthodu are expected to rise and affect transportation and human life. Revenue officers were directed to initiate action accordingly.
Kakkayam dam shutters opened
In the wake of heavy rainsand rise in the water level, the shutters of the Kakkayam dam were opened by the authorities on Wednesday. An alert was issued in association with this as the water level in Peruvannamuzhy is likely to rise.