Water levels receding in Idukki, Mullaperiyar dams

Idukki: With a lull in rainfall, the water level has started declining although at a mild pace in Idukki dam and continuously in Mullaperiyar on Wednesday. With the declining trend, Tamil Nadu also reduced the release of water from the Mullaperiyar dam to Periyar river. The water release was reduced to 9,203 cusecs from 10,400 cusecs on Wednesday at 4 am and further to 8,980 cusecs at 8 am. TN closed three radial shutters and reduced the release by 5,650 cusecs at 6 pm. The water level at 6 am was 139.20 ft and it declined to 138.80 ft at 7 pm. Tamil Nadu was drawing water at 2,194 cusecs and the average inflow of the dam at 7 pm was 8,669 cusecs. The new rule curve level is 138.4 ft. Meanwhile, in Idukki, the water level showed a mild decline, and the level at 7 pm on Wednesday was 2,387.36 ft. Shutters 2,3 and 4 remained open to 140 cm and shutters 1 and 5 to 40 cm. A quantity of 345.7 cumces was released from the Cheruthoni dam. The new rule curve level is effective from Wednesday midnight as the maximum storage level is 2386.81 ft till August 20.A KSEB dam safety official told TOI that all shutters will not be closed at once, but in phases. "After raising the release to 350, Thadiyampad Chappath region submerged and people have demand reducing the release. The release will be reduced on Thursday” said the official.Water resources minister Roshy Augustine said the effective interventions by the government helped avoid floods. “The effective dam management helped avoid floods. Compared to the previous year, water level in Idukki is over 14 ft above and the water was released when it reached the rule curve level. When the water level was 137 ft in Mullaperiyar, CM Pinarayi Vijayan sent a letter to the Tamil Nadu CM to release the water. Then TN informed the state before the opening of the dam,” he said.

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