Thiruvananthapuram : With rains thickening up in the catchment region, Orange Alert has been issued for Idukki dam. The alert was sounded at 7 am today after water level in the dam’s reservoir reached 2396.86 ft - barely 6 ft short of the dam’s maximum capacity of 2403 ft.
If water rose by one more foot, there would be Red Alert warning people to take extreme precaution and the dam’s shutters shall stand raised. Even so, authorities expect a 2-day time period for dam waters to attain Red Alert levels, if that were to happen. Though the inflow into the dam has currently slowed, authorities asked people to stay alert.
Rains intensified through last night in the dam’s catchment area causing the current levels at dam. The Idukki dam was last opened in the historic floods on 2018.
Meanwhile, Kakki-Aanathod dam opened shutters at 11 am. Two of the total 4 shutters were raised draining 100 to 200 cubic ft water. As a result, Pampa has swelled up - a surge that the District Collector informed would stand around 10 to 15 cubic cms. Water from dams would be relieved at moderate pace. However, people residing in lower grounds must move to safer locations.
Shutters were raised at dams in Kollam and Thenmala and residents living along Kallada river have been advised caution. Sholyar dam opened at 10 am flushing 100 cubic ft water that will reach Chalakudi river in about 6 hours, where upon the low-lying areas there would become flooded. Currently, there is spillage of water from Parambikulam to Chalakudi that is causing river to rise meanwhile. Regions of Palpara, Peringulam and Sholayar witnessed severe rains last night.
