BackRains return to Kerala, govt not to open Idukki dam again
Although the Kerala government expects the rains to pass uneventfully, as per the official, it has raised the alarm for the locals who are still reeling in the history's worst floods in August, which killed about 400 people and caused significant damage in Idukki.
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Kozhikode: The Kerala government has decided to not open the shutters of Idukki dam, as water levels have reduced to 2387.72 now from 2387.76 since morning, owing to rains coming down
Although the government expects the rains to pass uneventfully, as per a senior official, it has raised the alarm for the locals who are still reeling in the history’s worst floods in August, which killed about 400 people and caused significant damage in Idukki.
The state has opened 12 dams so far, including small and big ones. In eight out of 16 dams run by state electricity board, the water levels have gone beyond 80% storage capacity, as per the board’s website.
Although northern and southern Kerala largely remains sunny, the central parts have been witnessing continuous downpour over the last two days.
The rains are owing to a low pressure area formed over the South-East Arabian Sea on Friday, as per Indian Meteorological Department, which is expected to intensify into a depression and cyclonic storm over the weekend.
As part of precautionary measures, Kerala banned tourists to Idukki’s Munnar hills on Thursday, and advised fishermen in its coastal regions to not venture out to sea till Monday. Close to Idukki, five teams of National Disaster Response Force are also stationed as stand-by, as per the government.
India’s weather office had predicted “heavy to heavy" rains in most places of Kerala and “extremely heavy" rains in isolated places like Idukki for the weekend. Idukki was also put on high alert by the weather office on Friday, which tells authorities to take contingency actions.
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