IDUKKI: Heavy rain lashing the catchment areas over the past one week has raised the water level in the Idukki reservoir, forcing the authorities on Friday to issue a blue alert, the first warning issued before opening the dam shutters.
On October 1, the water level recorded in the dam was 2,386.98 ft. By Wednesday, it reached the blue alert level of 2,390 ft due to incessant rain. According to the guidelines mentioned in the ‘Orange Book’ of disaster management featuring standard operating procedures and the action to be taken in the event of any natural disaster, it is necessary to issue a blue alert 36 hours before opening the dam shutters. However, the KSEB officials said there is no need to be concerned about the alert, and that the shutters will be opened only if the water level reaches 2,403 ft. “Before that, orange and red alerts will be issued, at 2,396.86 ft and 2,397.86 ft respectively,” an official said.
Even as the India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert (isolated rain) in Idukki for Saturday and Sunday, officials calculate that the dam shutters will not have to be opened unless the rain gathers strength in the coming days. The KSEB now plans to maintain the water level in the dam by increasing power production at the Moolamattam power house. As of now, the power generation stands at 7.316 million units.Meanwhile, the catchment area of the dam recorded a rainfall of 13.4mm on Friday. Other parts of Idukki too received light rain on the day.
Heavy rush of visitors at dam
Hundreds of tourists are flocking to the Idukki dam site to enjoy the Pooja holidays and to experience the scenic beauty of the dam filled to the brim. “The heavy rush is due to the high water level, which is close to the full reservoir level. We expect more tourists in the coming days,” said an official at the ticket counter at the entrance to the Cheruthoni dam.