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Idukki, Mullaperiyar dams opened as Kerala braces for another wet spell
The usual rainfall pattern during northeast monsoon in Kerala is 492 mm between October 1 and December 31, but this time between October 1 and November 15 the state received 820 mm rain against the expected fall of 392.8 mm during the same period, IMD statistics show.
With another spell of rainfall round the corner, the shutters of Idukki and Mullaperiyar, the two major dams of Kerala, were opened on Thursday to let out surplus water. State water resources minister Roshy Augustine said in Idukki that the dams were opened as a precautionary measure after meeting all requirements.
This is the first time that the shutters of Idukki arch dam were opened thrice a year since it was built in 1973. Tamil Nadu also opened the shutters of the 126-year-old Mullaperiyar dam for the second time this year. Though the heavy rainfall has declined in other parts of the state in the last couple of days, the catchment areas received heavy downpour leading to swelling of water in the dams.
“Idukki dam was opened as a precaution. Now the water level is manageable. We have alerted people living in downstream areas,” said the minister. Idukki district collector Sheeba George also said all precautionary measures had been taken before opening both dams.
The public works department of TN informed its counterpart about the decision to open Mullaperiyar after the water level crossed 141 feet. It opened two shutters to release excess water-- since Tamil Nadu is being lashed by heavy rain it is taking minimum water from Mullaperiyar for the southern districts these days. Kerala dam authorities said Idukki was opened after shutters of Mullaperiyar were opened in the neighbouring state. In Idukki district alone there are 20 big and small dams.
The catchment areas of Idukki dam received 30 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours and in Mullaperiyar it was 22 mm. The inflow of water doubled in the two dams forcing authorities to ease them immediately. Shutters of the Idukki dam were opened initially on October 27, then on November 14 and for the third time on November 18.
The usual rainfall pattern during northeast monsoon in Kerala is 492 mm between October 1 and December 31, but this time between October 1 and November 15 the state received 820 mm rain against the expected fall of 392.8 mm during the same period, IMD statistics show. Going by the present pattern, the rainfall will be at least 200 per cent higher than usual by the end of December.
After a brief respite from the wet condition, the rainfall is likely to pick up by Friday; the India Meteorological Department said adding heavy rain will continue till November 21. It has issued an yellow alert in nine districts. The low-pressure formation in the Bay of Bengal is expected to get stronger and will make landfall along the Tamil Nadu-Andhra coast on Friday.
This time Kerala received two heavy spells of northeast monsoon-- in the second-third week of October the state witnessed many landslides and flash floods after torrential downpour claimed 42 lives and in November second week eight lives were lost when the second spell of heavy rain battered the state.
