Athirappilly, Thrissur: As torrential downpour has been battering Kerala, reports of people helping those in need are pouring in from all quarters. Going a step ahead, the Peringalkuthu dam authorities closed the shutters to reduce water flow to help a wild tusker wade to safety.
The elephant, stranded on an islet of rocks on the raging Chalakudy River downstream of the dam, was spotted by wildlife rangers in the wee hours of Monday. The spot was between Charpa and Ittani.
The dam safety authorities were forced to lift the shutters of Peringalkuthu dam on Thursday, August 9, after water level rose to capacity following incessant rain in the catchment areas. This had created a flood like situation in the downstream areas. The sudden surge in the water level of Chalakudy River could have trapped the mighty jumbo on the rocks.
The mighty task
The dam safety officers closed all three shutters of the dam, after receiving an alert from forest officials. By 11 am on Monday, after waiting for four hours for the water to recede, the elephant crossed the river safely.
Landslides and flash floods had claimed 39 lives and rendered over one lakh homeless, wiping out tribal colonies and alienating towns in hilly and low-lying areas alike.
