Tamil Nadu on Monday closed the last spillway shutter of Mullaperiyar dam which was remaining open to 10 cm for a month. The shutter was closed at 12 noon on Monday after informing the Kerala government.
From November 18 onwards, the shutter was not closed fully with water being released to the Periyar for regulating the water level to the upper rule curve level.
Tunnel discharge
According to Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) sources, Tamil Nadu ensured that the water level stayed close to the maximum level of 142 ft for the past 20 days. The shutter was kept open to the minimum level while regulating the intake of water through the tunnel discharge. Kerala had demanded that water level be kept at a safe position so as to avoid the risk of releasing a high volume of water to the Periyar, especially during night.
The water level in Idukki reservoir continued to decline and it fell to 2,399.48 ft on Monday. The blue alert level for Idukki dam is 2,395 ft, the orange alert at 2,401 ft, and red alert level at 2,402 ft. The upper rule curve level is 2,403 ft.
