A red alert has been issued to people living on the banks of the Karamanthodu river after the water level in the Banasura Sagar reservoir of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) at Padinharethara in Wayanad district approached full capacity.
The full storage level of the reservoir is 775.6 m, and the red alert was issued after the water level increased to 774.5 m on Monday, said dam safety officials.
The upper rule level of the reservoir is 775 m. When the water level crosses this limit, the spillway shutters of the dam will be opened, the officials said. The inflow to the reservoir from the catchment area has increased considerably, thanks to copious rain, they added.
The inflow ranged between 20 cubic metres and 60 cubic metres per second on the day. If the situation continued, the water level would reached the upper rule limit in three days, the officials said.
The dam shutters were opened a month ago owing to heavy rain.
