Idukki: With the water level at the Mullaperiyar dam touching 136 feet, shutters of the dam will be opened on Sunday.

Tamil Nadu announced that the shutters will be opened at 10 am. If the water level rises further in an unregulated manner, the shutters may be opened earlier in the morning, officials added.

A maximum of 1,000 cubic feet of water will be released. The District Collector said that although residents near the banks of Periyar should exercise caution, there is no cause for concern. The district administration has advised people in low-lying areas to relocate to safer places or relief camps.

The water level had reached 135.95 feet by 7 pm on Saturday, crossing the critical 135 feet mark, and by night, it had touched just under 136 feet. This has led to growing concerns that the shutters might be opened during the night in compliance with the rule curve that mandates action at this level.

Currently, the inflow to the reservoir stands at 5,867 cusecs. Tamil Nadu is drawing 2,117 cusecs through both the penstock and the Irachipalam canal. On Friday, Thekkady and Periyar recorded 5.4 mm and 19.4 mm of rainfall, respectively. The alert in the riverbank areas remains in effect.

Over 3,200 people to be relocated

Following the rise of water above 135 feet, Tamil Nadu had earlier warned of the possibility of the dam being opened. Acting on this, the Idukki district administration began precautionary measures. The Collector has ordered the relocation of more than 3,200 people from 883 families residing in the riverbank areas of Vallakkadavu, Vandiperiyar, Alavillassam, and Upputhara.  Almost 20 relief camps have been set up for this purpose.