Nejma Sulaiman By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The spillway shutters of the 123-year-old Mullaperiyar reservoir at Thekkady were opened on Wednesday after the water level reached 139.15 feet. The water level had risen considerably following heavy rain in the upstream of the dam for the past 48 hours. The permitted level of water in the dam is 142 ft, while the total capacity is 152 ft. With the evel rising to 137 ft by Tuesday afternoon, Tamil Nadu issued an alert to the Idukki district administration that the shutters may be opened any time. The district administration, in turn, warned the people and safety preparations were taken. As a precautionary measure, five shutters of Idukki dam, where the water released from the Mullaperiyar would be accommodated, were opened at 5 pm, releasing 600 cumecs of water. It will be increased to 750 cumecs at 1 am on Wednesday. Shaji M K, Peerumade deputy tahsildar, in-charge of the taluk control room, said an alert was issued when the water level reached 136 ft on Tuesday. However, the catchment areas received heavy rainfall for the past 24 hours and the inflow of water into the dam increased considerably. “Although the permitted level of water in Mullaperiyar dam is 142 ft, the decision to open the shutters was taken in view of rising water level in other major reservoirs and Vaigai dam inching to its full capacity,” he said. Water drawn by TN from Mullaperiyar is stored in Vagai dam. While the total capacity of the dam is 70 ft, the water level crossed 61 ft on Tuesday. There was anxiety among people as the water level was kept over 135 ft for over a week with TN drawing water at a controlled level, decreasing the intake whenever there was a fall in inflow. Though TN was drawing water at 2,200 cusecs, the inflow was 4419.40 cusecs and the additional water was stored in the dam resulting in a surge in the water level. Chief Sec issues alert to people on Periyar banks T’Puram: Chief Secretary Tom Jose on Tuesday issued an alert to the people who live on the banks of the Periyar River. “The State Relief Commissioner of Tamil Nadu has intimated that Tamil Nadu may release water to Kerala side of Periyar from Mullaperiyar reservoir, considering the high inflow into the reservoir. Hence, the State Executive Committee of KSDMA has decided to release more water from Cheruthoni dam. People living close to Periyar in Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur should comply with the directions issued by the Collectors and move to relief camps,” he said in a statement.<doc-sep>The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has alerted the Idukki, Ernakulam and Kottayam district administrations about planned increase in discharges from the Idukki reservoir, which it controls. The calibrated increases in discharges would come into effect from 11 am today, a communication from the KSEB to the respective district collectors said. CALIBRATED INCREASES Accordingly, the discharge would be raised by 200 cumecs to 1,200 cumecs at 11 am; 1,300 cumecs by 12 am; 1,400 cumecs by 1 pm; and a maximum of 1,500 cumecs by 2 pm. This is in view of the renewed heavy rain and resultant inflows from the catchment areas as also the release from the Mullaperiyar dam from early this morning by the Tamil Nadu government. The water level at Idukki at 11 am was at 2,398.82 ft as it started inching up under the influence of unrelenting rain. The full reservoir level is 2403 ft, with spillways at nearby Cheruthoni dam. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has convened an urgent high-level meeting here this morning as the State slipped under another debilitating phase of a resurgent monsoon. No district seems to have been spared from the latest outrage as heavy rains, commandeered by a well-marked low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, lashed its length and breadth. And there is no respite yet, with more rain being forecast until tomorrow, as the well-marked 'low' gradually intensifies into a depression. COCHIN AIRPORT CLOSED Meanwhile, the Cochin International Airport administration has announced that the airport shall remain closed for four days until Saturday given flooding of the runway, parking bays and operational area. The decision was precipitated by the opening of the Mullaperiyar spillway that directs some of the water into the Kerala side of the Periyar River that feeds a canal around the airport perimeter. Earlier this morning, at around 2.35 am, the Tamil Nadu government had opened the 13 shutters of the Mullaperiyar dam by one feet, though three of them were closed after two hours. In it forecast outlook for today, India Met Department (IMD) has held out the threat of continued rainfall for most parts of Kerala and Karnataka while being very heavy over Odisha. Heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy falls is likely over Odisha while it will be heavy to very heavy rain over Coastal Karnataka and Kerala. Elsewhere, heavy to very heavy rain is forecast for Chhattisgarh, South Interior Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and heavy rain over East, Central and North-West India.<doc-sep>Kerala floods: Water level in Mullaperiyar dam touches 2397.94 feet KOCHI: Even as Kerala had begun to heave a sigh of relief with the fall in water levels in Idukki dam reservoir, a next dam crisis appears to be looming further upstream as the Mullaperiyar dam's water levels have crossed 136 ft. first level alert was issued around 4am on Tuesday. At 10am, the lake level in Mullaperiyar dam rose to 136.40 ft. The total capacity of the dam in 142 ft. There have been heavy rains in the forest and hilly terrain in the area and the water level is steadily rising.All through the Idukki dam crisis, what had kept the officials and locals less tense was the fact that Mullaperiyar dam waters had been keeping low and the crisis had to be managed of the Idukki dam alone in the last couple of weeks of heavy rains. The waters from Mullaperiyar is used by Tamil Nadu state though the dam is located in Kerala.In 2011, when the water level rose in Mullaperiyar, it had generated a 'damophobia' all the way downstream till Aluva Periyar in Ernakulam. There is still a constant fear in Kerala that this old dam cannot withstand the pressure of high water level.However, the Tamil Nadu government which undertook some of the repair work in the cracks that were detected says that the dam is safe and there is no threat to its structure. The concern among locals in Idukki has been that in the event of any damage of breakage in the Mullaperiyar dam, it would overflow and reach Idukki dam area and consequentially would affect the entire downstream.Following heavy rains, the shutter of Mattupetty dam have been opened to 30 cms height and 12.50 cumecs of water is being discharged. A high alert has been given in Munnar, Muthirapuzha, Kallarkutty, lower Periyar regions, Idukki district collector informed.Meanwhile, the dam safety officials of KSEB have decided to reduce the water release to 3 lakh litres per second from 4.5 lakh litres per second from 11am on Tuesday.At 10am, the water level at Idukki reservoir was 2396.88 ft at 10am on Tuesday. Two shutter remained closed since yesterday evening and three are downed at 1.50m. The cumulative water released after power generation and through the shutters is 237.872 million cubic metre. The Idamalayar dam water level is at 168.71m at 10am on Tuesday. Four lakh litres of water is being released from 4 shutters at 1m height here<doc-sep>
Mullaperiyar Dam shutters opened following rise in water level With this, shutters of 33 dams in Kerala have been opened. Many districts in the state have been inundated with water following heavy rains. news Rains Following the water level at the Mullaperiyar dam reaching 140 feet as against its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 142 feet, the shutters of the dam were opened further by a feet around 2.30 am on Wednesday. As a result, the flow of water from the dam has increased from 750 cumecs to 850 cumecs. The Tamil Nadu government which operates the dam had earlier announced on Tuesday that due to the increase in water level, the dam will be opened at 1.30 am on Wednesday and it had issued a second warning on Tuesday night requesting the people living along the banks of the dam to move to relief camps before 9 pm. With this, shutters of 33 dams in Kerala have been opened. Many districts in the state have been inundated with water following heavy rains and controlled discharge from dams. It has been reported that almost 4,000 people will be shifted from the banks to various relief camps in the Idukki district. Kerala Chief Secretary, Tom Jose in a press statement had said that due to the increase in the inflow of water, the Tamil Nadu Disaster Relief Commission had informed him about the need to open the dam shutters. The Chief Secretary had informed that the people living on the banks of the Periyar in the districts of Idukki, Ernakulam and Thrissur were asked to move to the relief camps at the time given by the district officials and cooperate with the officials. The Idukki District Collector on Tuesday had said in a statement, “Due to heavy rains, there has been an increase in the water levels at the Mullaperiyar dam because of which there are chances of the dam shutters to be opened.” he district of Idukki was again hit by rains after a brief calm of two days, forcing the authorities to open the shutters of the Cheruthoni dam of the Idukki reservoir. Due to the heavy rains in the northern hilly districts, several landslides and floods have been reported from districts like Wayanad, forcing thousands of people to move to relief camps.