Looking at the Periyar River in Vallakkadav. When the MULPERIYAR drain window opens, the water first reaches the Vallakkadava. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The shutter of the Mulperiyar dam will be open on Sunday at 10 am and, according to the officials of the public work department Tamil Nadu, a maximum of 1,000 water Cusces will be released from the dam.
As Tamil Nadu announced on Friday the probable opening of the dams, the district administration compiled a list of 3,220 individuals for relocation to relief camps. However, people refused to move to the camps and remained in their homes.
Shaji Kurishummood, the inhabitants of Vallakkadav, says that for people living in Downstream areas of mulleperiyar, the opening of the dam has become a common scene during monsoons. “Now people have accepted that there will be no permanent solution for their problems,” he says.
Wave of sympathy
PN Sebastian, other inhabitants of Valkadav, says no families moved to relief camps after the announcement. “Opening shutter and inevitable floods have now become a routine for us. When the shutter is notified, there is an increase in wave of sympathy for people living in downstream areas such as Vallakkadava and Vandiperiyar.
The water level on Saturday at 10 pm was 136 ft.
The average tide was 3 867 CUSECS and the tunnel discharge was 2 117 CUSECS. Officials Tamil Nadu PWD announced on Friday that the dam will probably be open on Saturday, when the water level will reach 136 ft. On Friday, however, boring rainfall activity in the river basin and increased loss of Tamil tunnel over the opening. Idukki district administration asked Tamil over to open the closures only during the day.
The district received heavy rainfall on Saturday. The district has received an average 17.8 mm precipitation over the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the water level in the idukki dam goes close to the blue alert level. The water level on Saturday was 2,361.36 (55.60%) FT compared to 2,336.98 (35.23%) FT last year. According to the rule curve, the level of a blue warning is 2,365 ft and the level of the rule is set at 2373 ft by June 30. Energy production at the Moohamattom power plant continued at a high level and generated 15.246 MU on Friday.
Published – June 28, 2025 20:06
