Kerala rains: Situation still grim; Munnar isolated

KOCHI: Following heavy rains and landslides, Munnar has been completely isolated, and the district administration has advised against travelling the tourist town in the high range. Several areas in Wayanad district are also isolated. Landslides occurred in the hilly regions of Malappuram, Kannur and Kozhikode. Many rivers have breached its banks, and waters have entered homes. Widespread crop and property loss is reported due to heavy rains.


In Wayanad, authorities raised the shutters of Banasura Sagar dam by 210cm. Landslides occurred again in Makkimala in Wayanad. Though landslides at Kurichiyar Mala and Makkimala have been reported there are no casualties. The search for a person who went missing in the waters at Kambipplam near Thalappuzha is continuing. Landslides occurred at two places in Thamarassery ghat road. With this, the traffic to Wayanad was completely disrupted.

Even as Kerala had begun to heave a sigh of relief with the fall in water levels in Idukki dam reservoir, a next dam crisis appears to be looming further upstream as the water level at Mullaperiyar dam touched 137 feet at 2pm on Tuesday. The total capacity of the dam in 142 ft. There have been heavy rains in the forest and hilly terrain in the area and the water level is steadily rising.

The water level at Idukki dam has touched 2397.10 feet at 4pm on Tuesday. Three shutters of the dam have been opened at 1.10 meters and ensures release of 3 lakh liters of water per second.

All through the Idukki dam crisis, what had kept the officials and locals less tense was the fact that Mullaperiyar dam waters had been keeping low and the crisis had to be managed of the Idukki dam alone in the last couple of weeks.

The waters from Mullaperiyar is used by Tamil Nadu state though the dam is located in Kerala. In 2011, when the water level rose in Mullaperiyar, it had generated a 'damophobia' all the way downstream till Aluva Periyar in Ernakulam. There is still a constant fear in Kerala that this old dam cannot withstand the pressure of high water level.

However, the Tamil Nadu government which undertook some of the repair work in the cracks that were detected says that the dam is safe and there is no threat to its structure.

The concern among locals in Idukki has been that in the event of any damage of breakage in the Mullaperiyar dam, it would overflow and reach Idukki dam area and consequentially would affect the entire downstream.

Following heavy rains, the shutter of Mattupetty dam have been opened to 30cms height and 12.50 cumecs of water is being discharged. A high alert has been given in Munnar, Muthirapuzha, Kallarkutty, lower Periyar regions, Idukki district collector informed.

The Idamalayar dam water level is at 168.72m at 2pm on Tuesday. Four lakh litres of water is being released from 4 shutters at 1m height here.