KOCHI: In the wake of heavy rainfall in the catchment area of
Idukki dam, all five shutters of the Cheruthony dam were opened for the first time in 40 years to release more water in the backdrop of heavy rains and rising water level in the reservoir.
It was being said that with the fifth shutter being opened soon, the total height could be five shutters at 1 m height. The waters at present are flowing at about 3.5 lakh litres of water per second. Around 8 lakh litres of water have increased in the reservoir with the total at 2401.50 ft at 12pm.
The road outside Cochin International Airport seen flooded after the reservoirs in Idamalayar and Idukki were opened on Thursday. TOI Photo
This had left officials with no option but to raise the 4th shutters. The high level meeting chaired by the chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to release at total of 700 cubic metres per second of water on Friday. It asked all officials to be on standby for any untoward happenings. On Friday at 11.30am, three shutters of the Idukki dams which were opened started releasing 3 lakh litres of water per second, doubling the flow from the morning hours.
FILE: A scene from Aluva Manappuram, Kochi. Aluva Shiva temple submerged in the Periyar River after reservoirs in Idamalayar and Idukki were opened, on Thursday. TOI photo
To control the damage of waters to the downstream areas right up to the Periyar in Aluva in Ernakulam district, the dam safety officials decided to control the waters at Idamalayar dam which was opened on Thursday morning. Earlier, only one of the shutters of the dam was opened by 50 cm through which 50,000 litres of water per second was released from Thursday afternoon 12.30pm. However, the water level in the dam continued rose to touch 2401.34 feet at 10 am on Friday.
Officials with the
Kerala state electrity board who are the custodians of the Idukki dam said that the plan is to increase the volume of water being released to 300 Cumecs or 3 lakh litres per second from the current 1.25 Cumecs or 1.25 lakh litres per second. The volume may be further doubled to 600 Cumecs or 6 lakh litres per second after reducing the release of water from Idamalayar dam. The officials said that the release from Idamalayar could be controlled at 3 lakh litres per second.
The water level in Idamalayar dam has slipped slightly to 169.32 metres at 5am on Friday from 169.52 at Thursday midnight, which power minister M M Mani said was a good sign. Meanwhile, heavy rains in this end of Ernakulam at Aluva have created concern. When the shutters of the Cheruthony dam were opened to release the waters from Idukki dam, lots of coconut trees and other crops flowed along with the speeding waters down the Cheruthony bridge. As the speed increased, officials started cutting down trees along the banks of river Periyar.
241 relief camps have been opened
The South-west monsoon has been vigorous over Kerala resulting in heavy rains in various parts of the state since the past two days,
PTI adds from Thiruvananthapuram.
So far 26 people have been killed, including 11 in high range Idukki in landslips on Thursday as rain continued to pound the southern state.
According to state disaster control room sources, 241 relief camps have been opened and 15,695 people have been shifted from low-lying areas.
Over 5,500 people from Wayanad district, where a red alert had been sounded on Thursday, have been shifted to relief camps, the sources said on Friday morning.
In Ernakulam, 3,456 people have been shifted to camps following floods after four shutters of the Idamalayar dam were opened on Thursday.
According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin at 8 am, thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds are likely to affect Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Wayanad districts.
The government has asked tourists not to go to high range areas and dam sites.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had described the flood situation in the state as "very grim" and it was for the first time in the history of the state that 24 dams had been opened at a time following the water level reaching maximum capacity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the Kerala chief minister on Thursday in the wake of heavy rains and floods in the state, and offered all possible assistance to those affected.
"Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the situation arising due to floods in various parts of the state. Offered all possible assistance to those affected. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Kerala in the wake of this calamity," the PM said in a tweet.
Army deployed for rescue operations
The Army has been deployed for rescue-relief and damage control exercises in several districts in the state.
State Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekheran, who is camping in Ernakulam and coordinating the activities said five teams of the Army were taking part in the damage control exercises in Idukki, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram.
