Almost full, Kerala’s Idukki dam to be opened after 26 yrs
:The shutters of Kerala’s Idukki dam, one of the highest arch dams in Asia, is set to be opened after 26 years with the water touching the brim, forcing the state government to issue an orange alert and begin a massive evacuation drive.
The shutters of Kerala’s Idukki reservoir, one of the highest arch dams in Asia, is set to be opened after 26 years with the water touching the brim, forcing the state government to issue an orange alert and begin a massive evacuation drive.
Water level rose to 2,395 feet on Tuesday in the dam with a capacity of 2,403 feet. A senior officer of the state electricity board who did not want to be identified said a red alert will be issued once the water level crosses 2,399 feet. Green, orange and red alerts are decided depending on the level of danger.
“There is no need to panic. We are keeping strict vigil. Shutters will be opened only during day time. At present, the water level is rising by 0.02 feet per hour,” said Mathew T Thomas, state irrigation minister, who is camping in Idukki, 250 km from the state capital.
The arch reservoir comprises of three dams — Idukki, Cheruthoni and Kulamavu. The catchment areas of the reservoir, across the Periyar river, are still receiving heavy rain. Idukki received 192.3cm rainfall this year which is at least 49% more than what the hill district received in 2017, officials with the meteorological department said. When shutters opened last time in 1992, many areas were inundated, causing large-scale destruction with the water from the dam reaching Aluva and Ernakulam towns, 125 km away from the dam site.
The state government is leaving no stone unturned. Army and navy have been put on alert and a team of disaster management control force is camping near the district headquarters. “We will not open shutters in one go. A joint team of irrigation, power, police and district administration is monitoring the situation,” said power minister MM Mani, who is from Idukki.
The Idukki district administration has restricted visitors to the area and warned people against taking selfies. The Cochin International Airport and at least 14 towns in Idukki and six in Ernakulam districts have been put on alert.
Other districts in the state also received heavy downpour on Tuesday. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Thiruvananthapuram said the rain, triggered by a low-pressure belt formed along the Odisha coast, would continue till Friday. Educational institutions were closed in Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, Kottayam and Idukki districts as a precautionary measure.
All rivers in the state are in spate and the authorities have warned people living in hilly regions to be cautious after landslips were reported from several areas. In the state capital, train services were disrupted for hours after tracks were waterlogged.
A fortnight ago, Alappuzha and Kottayam districts were flooded, killing 40 people. A central team led by Union ministers Kiran Rijiju and K J Alpohns visited the areas and announced an initial relief of ~80 crore. The state had demanded ~1,000 crore relief to tide over the crisis.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM