Water levels in dams rising rapidly

IDUKKI: As the southwest monsoon completes its first week, water levels in Kerala’s dams are rising rapidly. Due to heavy rainfall in catchment areas, the water level in reservoirs under the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has increased by 12% over the past six days. Currently, the total storage across 16 major dams stands at 40%.

In the Idukki dam — Kerala’s largest hydroelectric project — the water level has risen by 11 feet within six days, increasing from 2329.88 feet to 2341.48 feet. The dam’s full reservoir level is 2403 feet. The catchment area received 497.2 mm of rain in six days. Within 24 hours, water inflow sufficient to generate 65.144 million units of electricity reached the reservoir. Presently, the dam holds enough water to produce 848.217 million units of electricity.

Similarly, the Mullaperiyar dam has seen its water level rise by about 14 feet in six days, reaching 128.8 feet. The permitted maximum storage is 142 feet. The inflow rate is 8,028.88 cubic feet per second (cusecs), out of which 933 cusecs are diverted to Tamil Nadu.

12 smaller dams opened
Shutters have been opened in 12 relatively smaller dams due to rising water levels. These include Neyyar (Thiruvananthapuram), Moozhiyar and Maniyar (Pathanamthitta), Kallarkutty, Lower Periyar, Malankara, and Ponmudi (Idukki), Bhoothathankettu (Ernakulam), Peringalkuthu (Thrissur), Pazhassi (Kannur), Karapuzha (Wayanad), and Moolathara (Palakkad). The Iratayar Dam in Idukki is currently under red alert.