As water levels continue to increase in the Idukki reservoir, the district administration has issued a ‘blue alert’. This is the first-degree warning issued for people before the shutters of the dam are opened.
The blue alert was issued as the water level in the reservoir reached 2,391.04 feet. There are two more degrees of warning before the shutters can be opened. If the water level reaches 2,396.85 feet before October 20, the authorities will issue an ‘orange alert’, the second-degree warning. If the water level reaches 2,397.85 feet within this time, a ‘red alert’ will be issued, said a statement released by the Idukki District Administration. The shutter of the dam will be opened if the water level reaches 2,398.85 feet, it said.
Of the two dams across the Idukki reservoir – the Idukki Arch dam and the Cheruthoni dam, only the latter has shutters. So, if the water level reaches the prescribed limit, the shutters of the dam will be opened, and the water will flow through the Cheruthoni river that passes by Cheruthoni town.
Officials have also informed that dam authorities are monitoring the situation closely. A control room has been opened by the district administration for people, which can be reached by calling 9496011994.
The shutters of Cheruthoni dam were last opened during the Kerala floods of 2018, after about 26 years. The town of Cheruthoni suffered a lot of damage when all the shutters of the dam were opened amidst heavy rains at the time. Houses which were built close to the Cheruthoni river’s original path incurred major damage. A part of the Cheruthoni bus station was also washed away in the gushing waters.
Parts of the state have been receiving isolated heavy rainfall since the past few days. For Tuesday, the Indian Meteorological Department as issued a code yellow warning for 11 districts – Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.
A code yellow warning implies that district authorities should stay updated on the weather patterns. The warning is issued for Malappuram, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod for Wednesday also.