Water from Idukki, Mullaperiyar dams floods downstream

Several families living near the banks of the Cheruthoni river downstream were evacuated as water entered their homes.
A man captures the night view of water being released from Cheruthoni dam after all five shutters were raised. (Photo | Shiyami)
A man captures the night view of water being released from Cheruthoni dam after all five shutters were raised. (Photo | Shiyami)

IDUKKI/KOCHI: Low-lying areas in Vandiperiyar, Vallakadavu and Chappathu in Idukki were flooded after Tamil Nadu increased the discharge of water from Mullaperiyar dam to 7,354 cusecs from 5pm on Monday. Several families living near the banks of the Cheruthoni river downstream were evacuated as water entered their homes.

Following the rise in discharge from Mullaperiyar dam, the KSEB raised the spill from Idukki dam to 300 cumecs (roughly 10,594 cusecs). Authorities are planning to increase it to 500 cumecs from Tuesday as the dam is receiving an inflow of 7.37 million cubic metres (MCM) per three hours. Meanwhile, the continuous downpour in the high ranges of Idukki and Wayanad prompted KSEB and the irrigation department to start releasing water from more dams. Four shutters of Kakki dam and two of Pampa dam in Pathanamthitta and two spillway shutters of Banasurasagar dam in Wayanad were raised on Monday. The discharge of water from the dams was around 72, 50 and 17 cumecs, respectively.

With water level in Idamalayar dam in Ernakulam reaching 83.57% of storage capacity, KSEB has decided to raise its spillway shutters around 10am on Tuesday. Around 50 to 100 cumecs of water from the dam will flow to Bhoothathankettu dam where all 15 shutters are open.

NDRF team in Kochi; banks of Periyar under watch

Release of water from Idukki’s Cheruthoni and Idamalayar dams will be regulated after monitoring the level in Periyar river at Aluva. It was around 1.735m at 6pm on Monday, way below the danger level of 3.76m. A 21-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team arrived in Ernakulam on Monday. Police and fire and rescue services personnel will also patrol the banks of the Periyar from Neriamangalam to Aluva.

The Pathanamthitta district administration has deployed revenue officers to shift people to relief camps. The divisional forest officer and the SC and ST development officer have been asked to shift people living inside the forest to camps if necessary. At 7pm, water level in Mullaperiyar dam was at 139.45ft against the rule curve level of 137.5ft.

“There has been heavy flow of water from Mullaperiyar dam since Monday evening. Water entered six houses in Vallakkadavu. The revenue department and local panchayat have opened relief camps. However, the residents have shifted to the houses of relatives, hoping to return when the water recedes,” Azhutha block panchayat president P M Noushad told TNIE. Peermade MLA Vazhoor Soman who visited the spot said all arrangements have been made in downstream areas to manage the situation. “Relief camps are functioning in the Government Tribal School and Government UP School in Vandiperiyar. Officials from the revenue, police and fire and rescue services department have been deployed. A team from NDRF has arrived too,” he said.
(With inputs from Pathanamthitta)

Water release

Mullaperiyar: 7,354 cusecs
Idukki: 300 cumecs (to be raised to 500 cumecs today)
Idamalayar to release 100 cumecs today
Kakki: 72 cumecs
Pampa: 50 cumecs

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