Mullaperiyar dam shutters likely to be opened on Saturday

The Idukki district administration has completed arrangements to evacuate people following the Tamil Nadu Public Works department’s warning that shutters of the Mullaperiyar dam could be opened on Saturday (June 28) if its water level touches 136 feet. The water level in the dam at 6 p.m. on Friday was 135.30 ft. The inflow on Friday was 3,800 cusecs, and the tunnel discharge was 2,050 cusecs.

District Collector V. Vigneshwari has directed the police and the revenue authorities to shift 3,220 people from 883 families to relief camps before 8 p.m. on Friday. According to officials, people from Periyar, Manjumala, Upputhara, Elappara, Ayyappankovil, Kanchiyar, Anavilasom, and Udumbanchola will be shifted to 200-odd relief camps. The district administration had requested Tamil Nadu to open the dam shutters only during daytime, the Collector said.

The district received an average rainfall of 45.76 mm over the past 24 hours. The water level in Idukki reservoir on Friday was 2,360.26 ft as against 2,335 ft on the same day last year. The rule level for Idukki dam until June 30 is 2,373 feet.