Monsoon rains fill India reservoir to capacity – Kerala’s Idukki Dam floodgates may be opened after 26 years, forcing large-scale evacuation downriver
By Chennabasaveshwar
4 August 2018Idukki, 4 August 2018 (Oneindia News) – The water level in Kerala’s Idukki dam touched 2396.34 feet on Saturday due to continuous heavy rainfall. The Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of the dam is 2403 feet.Idukki Dam is 554 feet (168.91 meters) tall, constructed between the two mountains – Kuravanmala (839 meters) and Kuravathimala (925 meters ). Length of the dam on its top is 365.85 meters. It has a width of 7.62 meters in the top and 19.81 meters in the bottom. […]The water level rises at the Idukki dam in Kerala on Tuesday, 31 July 2018. The dam may be opened for the first time in 26 years, owing to rising water level of the Periayar River following heavy monsoon rains in Kerala.
A team of National Disaster Response Force has already been deployed in Ernakulam and Thrissur and another team would reach Idukki, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a Facebook post.
The Kerala state electricity board (KSEB) is determined to make maximum use of the water in the catchment area in Idukki dam. The KSEB officials said that there has not been any excess water in the dam that needs to be released. Electricity Minister M.M. Mani has said that a trial run will be held when the water level in the Idukki dam reaches 2,398 ft. [more]
Water level reaches 2396.34 feet in Idukki dam
31 July 2018 (First Post) – One of the highest arch dams in Asia, Kerala’s Idukki Dam is going to be opened for the first time in 26 years, owing to rising water level of the Periayar River following heavy monsoon rains in Kerala. On Monday night, the water level in the Idukki reservoir touched 2,395 feet against its maximum of 2,403 feet and just nine feet short of the full level, prompting the authorities to issue an orange alert in Idukki, Ernakulam and Kottayam districts.A high-level meeting was conducted by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan where it was decided that the dam would be opened when the water level reaches 2,400 feet. However, state power minister MM Mani had cautioned the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) against waiting till the water level reached 2,400 feet and hence, it was decided to advance the opening of the dam.The meeting, which was also presided by revenue minister E Chandrasekharan, water resources minister, Mathew T Thomas and revenue additional chief secretary, PH Kurian, was called to decide on the precautions to be taken once the shutters of the dam are opened.The dam’s shutters were last opened in 1992. However, this is the first time that the dam will be attaining its full level during the South West Monsoon. The arch reservoir comprises of three dams built across the Periyar River — Idukki, Cheruthoni and Kulamavu. They were built for the Idukki Hydroelectric Project of the KSEB, but Idukki, being the highest, is used to store water while the other two are used to route it to the 780 MW powerhouse. The 550 foot high, double curvature dam is built between two granite hills — Kuravan and Kurinchi.The opening of the dam would lead to large-scale evacuation of residents of nearby areas. Thus, in the meeting it was decided that the disaster management officials will take a stock of buildings in and around 100 metres of the dam area with the help of satellite pictures and collect details of people residing in those buildings to aid in the evacuation process, the Financial Express reported.The shutters will be opened only in daylight and after sufficient notice is given to the public and all stakeholders concerned, a statement released by government authorities said. It added that there was no need for the public to panic and that the final red alert will be issued when the water level touches 2,399 feet. Earlier, the Kerala government had put the army, navy, air force and coast guard on alert to tackle any emergency situation. [more]
