One sight at the vast expanse of the brimming Idukki reservoir, Kerala’s largest, and it becomes clear how the southwest monsoon has packed a punch this time.

Idukki is hardly a couple of feet away from reaching the full reservoir level, the only time in its three-decade history when inflows from the June-September season would be enough to fill it up.

Only third time

The two earlier times this happened were in 1981 and 1992 but only later in the rain year in October-November after the northeast monsoon too had done its bit.

The full reservoir level is 2,403 feet; last evening, the water level had reached 2,400.2 feet. And there was more rain to be expected in the catchment areas from an ongoing wave of rainfall.

The district administration is keeping a strict vigil and officials of the Kerala State Electricity Board, which owns the dam, are on hand to supervise the likely scenario of opening of its massive shutters.

Buffer cushion

K.K. Karappan Kutty, chief engineer (dam safety) of the board, told Business Line this morning that the shutters would be opened once the level reaches 2,403 feet.

The reservoir has a ‘buffer cushion’ of 2,408 feet, but water will not be allowed to impound the dam and get to that level since strategically located outlets would get into action mode even otherwise.

There has been some respite in the rain at Idukki, said Kutty, who has returned from the dam site to the headquarters of the board here.

“But we cannot take chances with the weather,” he said. Inflows can sustain even after a rain spell lifts. Kutty will travel once again to Idukki tonight to take stock of the situation.

Control rooms

Meanwhile, the Idukki district administration has opened control rooms at various locations, especially downstream river Periyar which will carry the excess water being flushed out of the reservoir.

District collector Ajit Patil said the tahsildars and the village officers had been instructed to shift people living in the downstream areas in case of an emergency.

He said a public warning would be issued prior to the opening of the dam shutters and separate 24-hour control rooms had been opened at the taluk and the village levels.

All precautionary measures had been taken, and a control room (phone 9496011974) of the Kerala State

Electricity Board was alerting various departments to the water level every hour.

MEETING HELD

Adjoining Ernakulam district too has been put on alert since Periyar runs its course through parts of the district as well.

A Cochin international airport runway had become flooded during two days of incessant rain last month and its operations had to be curtailed for a day after floodwaters from Periyar rushed in.

Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed had called a meeting of top officials on Thursday to organise preparations for opening the dam shutters.

The meeting assessed that even if the turbines were operated to maximum potential, the shutters of the dam might have to be opened anytime between September 22 and 24.

>vinson.kurian@thehindu.co.in

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