Three shutters of the Kallarkutty Dam in Idukki were opened on Tuesday as heavy rains are forecast in the district this week. At 9 am on Tuesday, the shutters of the Kallarkutty and Lower Periyar Dams were opened in a phased manner, with Kallarkutty shutters opened by 80 cm releasing 400 cumecs of water and Pambla opened by 120 cm, releasing 900 cumecs of water.
At 2.45 pm on Monday, one shutter of the Pambla Dam (Lower Periyar) was raised by 30 cm to release 45 cumecs of water. One shutter of the Kallarkutty Dam too was opened at 5 pm on Monday to release 30 cumecs of water.
Shutters of the Kallarkutty dam in Kerala opened following heavy showers in Idukki. @thenewsminute pic.twitter.com/8ashqfO3Lf
— Sreedevi Jayarajan (@Sreedevi_Jay) August 4, 2020
According to reports, the Idukki District Collector has also directed Tahsildars to shift residents from landslide prone regions to safer zones. A total of 310 buildings have already been identified to be converted into relief centres soon. The relief camps will function in accordance with COVID-19 protocols and physical distancing rules.
Six shutters of the Malankara Dam too were opened by 30 cm each on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the water level at the Idukki reservoir reached 2,340.30 feet at 7 am on Tuesday. The region received 123.40 mm rainfall as of 7 am. The Idukki Dam’s Full Reservoir Level (FRL) is at 2,403 feet and the upper rule level set for the dam by authorities is 2,381.76 ft.
Water levels at the Mullaperiyar Dam as on Tuesday morning stood at 117.90 feet. The storage capacity of the dam is 2,249 mcft.
In Thrissur district, one more sluice gate of the Peringalkuthu Dam was opened at 7.20 am. With this, two sluice gates of the dam have been opened, releasing water into the Chalakudy river. The public have been advised to not venture out into the river by government officials. Residents have also been cautioned by the Collector to be alert.
Kerala has received a forecast of heavy rains this week, with an Orange warning (Alert or Be Prepared) issued in Idukki for August 6 and 7. Ernakulam and the northern districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kasaragod and Kannur have also been issued Orange alerts.