On Thursday, several places in Kerala were looking at a potential repeat of the devastating 2018 floods, with rivers overflowing and a series of landslides. However, the intensity of rainfall has reduced on Friday and Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has removed red alerts from all districts. Nevertheless, parts of Central Kerala, especially in low-lying Kuttanad region, are under water.
The severity of Thursday’s situation was highlighted by the large-scale evacuation of people living on the banks of the Chalakudy river in the Thrissur district as the weather predictions suggested a large amount of water will have to be released from the Peringalkuthu reservoir, which would receive excess inflow from dams that are further upstream in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. However, the worst did not come to pass as rainfall subsided, and the river has not risen in a way that the district administration had feared.
Also read: Kerala should be ready for more extreme weather in the near future, says climate scientist
Still, the State government is exercising caution and is preparing for controlled release of water from some of the dams to avoid any future emergencies if rainfall intensifies in their catchment areas in the next few days.
Here are the live updates:
6 shutters of Mullaperiyar dam opened
Tamil Nadu opened six shutters of the Mullaperiyar dam releasing 1,068 cusecs of water on Friday. Kerala will be informed in case of release of more water.
The shutters were opened by 30 cm at 5 p.m. after the Vaiga dam, where water from Mullaperiyar is stored, got filled by afternoon.
Blue alert at Banasura Sagar reservoir
People living on the banks of the Karamanthodu river have been given a blue alert after the water level in the Banasura Sagar reservoir at Padinharethara in Wayanad neared its full capacity. The alert was issued after the water level reached 772.50 m. The maximum level is 775.6 m.
Moderate rainfall in Ernakulam, low-lying areas still alert
Although there was no heavy rainfall, the low-lying areas perched between the Chalakudy and Periyar Rivers, continue to remain on alert as the flood waters that entered several houses from Thursday afternoon have not yet receded in areas like Kozhithuruthu, Kunnukara and Chendamangalam. The water levels in the Periyar and Muvattupuzha Rivers were showing a declining trend in the morning. Moreover, about 1,152 persons are staying in nearly 32 camps opened in North Paravur, Aluva, Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam and Kunnathunad taluks.
New tetrapod seawall offers relief to Chellanam residents
The newly installed tetrapod seawall at the coastal village Chellanam in Ernakulam district seems to be holding up well against the monsoon fury of the Arabian Sea. Chellanam residents have been battered by sea erosion, especially during monsoon rains. However, the tetrapod seawall (still under construction), which will be over 7 km long after completion, is reported to have provided much needed protection to the long-suffering residents of Chellanam.
Also read: Chellanam model fishing village to be developed at a cost of ₹750 crore
Malampuzha dam opened
All four shutters of Malampuzha dam was opened by 10 cm at 3:15 p. m. to let the water out in a controlled manner to avoid any future emergency if there is more inflow into the dam from its catchment area in the coming days.
Red alerts in five dams in Idukki district
While the rainfall is not as intense as yesterday, five dams (Ponmudi, Kundala, Kallarkutty, Erattayar, Lower Periyar) in Idukki district and Moozhiyar in Pathanamthitta district are on red alerts, with water levels close to their full capacity.
Four shutters of Malampuzha dam will be opened
Kerala’s Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty has informed in a tweet that four shutters of Malampuzha dam in Palakkad will be opened by 10 cm at 3 p.m. The government had earlier decided to delay the decision to let water out of the reservoir that is on the outskirts of Palakkad town since the rain had subsided in the catchment area.
Orange alert in eight districts today
IMD has put eight districts on orange alert, four districts on yellow alert and three on green alert today. Those regions under orange alert can expect heavy to very heavy rainfall. Intense rainfall activity is likely for the next two days. Although at a lower intensity, due to cyclonic circulations that persist over coastal Andhra Pradesh, west central Bay of Bengal and Central Karnataka, the rainfall is predicted to sustain till August 9, Tuesday.
3 shutters of Mullaperiyar dam opened
Three shutters of the Mullaperiyar dam were raised 30 cm each as the water level in the reservoir reached 137.50ft at 1 p.m. Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine has urged the public to exercise extreme caution.
Serious flooding in Kuttanad
Water levels in various rivers in the low-lying Kuttanad plains spread across Alappuzha and Kottayam districts is dangerously high and have submerged parts of the region. Several roads, including Alappuzha-Chenganasseri (AC) road, are also underwater. Moreover, thousands of hectares of paddy fields are also under the threat of inundation. Although it’s not heavily raining in Kuttanad, more inflow is expected from the upstream of the various rivers that drain into the backwaters. This extra water will have to smoothly drain out via Thanneermukkam bund and Thottappally spillway for the flood waters to recede from various parts of Kuttanad.
Also read: Kuttanad’s climate refugees
Pinarayi Vijayan requests M.K. Stalin to regulate Mullaperiyar water level
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have sent a letter to his Tamil Nadu counterpart M.K. Stalin seeking help to control the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam, which is in Kerala’s Idukki district, but is managed by Tamil Nadu. Mr. Vijayan’s letter comes against the dam management’s decision to raise the barrier’s spillway shutters by 12.30 p.m. on Friday, and in it he requests CM Stalin to “give directions to authorities concerned to ensure that the outflow/discharge from the dam is more than the inflow, taking into consideration the heavy rainfall in the catchment area of Mullaperiyar Dam”.
The dam will release 534 cubic feet of water in the initial phase and incrementally increase the discharge to 1000 cubic feet by 2.30 p.m.
Three shutters of Mullaperiyar dam to be opened
As the water level have reached 136 ft in Mullaperiyar dam in Idukki district, Kerala’s Minister for Water Resources Roshy Augustine has informed that water will be released from the reservoir by raising three shutters by 30 cm at 11:30 p. m. today. This will likely increase the water level in the Idukki reservoir downstream. He informed the press that any decision to open the Idukki dam will be taken after considering the water level in the downstream areas of Periyar river that passes through some of the most populous regions in Kerala.
Also read: Explained | What is the controversy over Mullaperiyar?
