KOCHI:
Idukki dam, one of the highest arch dams in Asia, has been opened 26 years after it was last opened in 1992 as the third shutter of the dam was raised 50 cm at 12.30 pm on Thursday as part of the trial run for the complete opening the dam.
The dam would remain open for four hours as part of the trial. Up to 50,000 litres of water is being released every second from the dam.
With the opening of Idukki Dam at least 22 reservoirs in the state are now openThe decision to open the dam was taken in the wake of the water level in the reservoir inching towards the brim at an unprecedented pace. The water level in the dam had crossed 2398.80 feet against the full reservoir level of 2403 feet.
The water from the Idukki dam is likely to inundate low lying areas in
Kothamangalam
, Aluva, Paravur,
Kuttampuzha
, Eloor,
Kalamassery
and other areas of the
Ernakulam district
.
After the dam was opened, the nearby Cheruthoni bridge was shut down by the authorities restricting traffic.
With the opening of Idukki Dam at least 22 reservoirs in the state are now open. The crisis has occurred after heavy monsoon lashed out in the state for the past three months.
Disney Tom is a senior correspondent with The Times of India in K...
Read MoreDisney Tom is a senior correspondent with The Times of India in Kochi. He writes on a range of issues including crime, courts, religion, and culture. He joined The Times of India in 2015 through campus placement from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. He likes to travel and write about people and places.
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