Idukki: As water level continued to rise at the Idukki reservoir in Kerala, the fourth and fifth shutters of the Cheruthoni dam were opened on Friday afternoon. An alert has been sounded to people living along the banks of Cheruthoni and Periyar rivers.
Three shutters opened 1.3 metre and two shutters 1 metre to release 750 cumecs or seven lakh fifty thousand litre per second. (It is the shutters of the Cheruthoni dam that are opened to release water from the reservoir of Idukki, the biggest arch dam in Asia).
It was after 26 years that a shutter of the Cheruthoni dam was opened on Thursday. The dam shutters were last opened in October 1992.
A red alert was issued after water level touched 2,399.56 feet on Thursday evening.
4 shutters opened Friday
Two shutters of the Cheruthoni dam were lifted around 7 am Friday as the water level continued to rise following heavy rain.
On Friday morning, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan reviewed the flood situation and relief works being undertaken by the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the NDRF. Informing reporters that there is a need to release more water from the Idukki dam in the wake of increase in the water level, he said, "It is essential to release water three times than what was being released now."
"Water level in the Periyar river and its tributaries will rise. People have to be vigilant," he said.
The CM, who has cancelled all his public functions till August 12, will monitor the situation from the state capital.
Around 6,500 families living along the river banks will have to be shifted out to relief camps. The Navy has put on alert its Southern Naval Command in view of the rising water level in Periyar River.
Also read: Live | Kerala battles heavy rain, flood; 33 dams open
