CHERUTHONI: With the Kerala State Electricity Board deciding to lift all shutters of the Cheruthoni dam on Friday, an air of anxiety prevails at Cheruthoni town and the hamlets downstream. Though the authorities have assured that water will be released from the Idukki dam at a controlled rate to avoid flooding, people living in the areas downstream are an anxious lot. There being widespread encroachment on the river bed, and with water gushing out from the dam, several houses could be inundated. Many people have been using the river bed for agriculture and crops grown there stand to be destroyed.
But the district authorities have assured that water will be released only after reviewing the inflow to the dam and the flood situation downstream, including areas around Aluva. Though KSEB opened one shutter and started releasing 50,000 litres of water per second from Thursday afternoon, the water level continues to rise as the catchment areas have been receiving heavy rain for the past couple of days. The water level touched 2,400 feet at 8 pm on Thursday.
“The people living on the banks of Cheruthoni river and Periyar are anxious. There are many encroachments which will be affected. Besides, the bridges at Cheruthoni Junction and Thadiyambatt are weak and fears abound these bridges will be washed away,” said P A Suhas, an advocate at Cheruthoni.
“People are anxious as the water level is inching closer to the dam’s full capacity. The government should have started releasing water at least a week ago. Now, there is heavy rain and the dam is brimming. This situation of panic could have been averted if the district administration had acted promptly,” said Jalal a local resident.
Former Block Panchayat president and DCC secretary A P Usman, a resident of Cheruthoni, said there was no panic as such among the people, with the local residents celebrating the occasion as the residents of low-lying areas have been shifted to safer places.