With authorities in Kerala set to open the last of the three shutters of the Mattupetty dam in Idukki district of Kerala, large parts of Munnar has been flooded.
A major portion of the Munnar town has been inundated and all vehicular traffic has come to a standstill.
While two shutters of the Cheruthoni dam in the district were closed late on Monday evening, leading to the water levels in Cheruthoni town coming down, this has not given much respite for the people of Idukki.
Idukki Collector has asked tourists not to travel to Munnar until further notice. All heavy goods vehicles have also been barred from plying in the region. The controlled discharge of water from the dams combined with heavy rains in the region has lead to inundation in roads in Munnar and old Munnar town, completely cutting off access to people.
On Tuesday morning, Dam Safety Authority and Kerala State Electricity Board decided to open one shutter of the of the dam by 30 cm, this after the water level reached 1599.20 feet. Alerts were issued for people living in the lower Periyar, Munnar, Muthirapuzha and Kallarkatti regions.
The full capacity of the Mattupetti dam is 1599.59 meter. While one shutter was opened at 9 am, a second shutter was opened at 11 am, say reports.