Mullaperiyar Dam shutters opened as water level rises after heavy rain

Idukki: Authorities opened 13 shutters of the Mullaperiyar Dam on Sunday, releasing water into the Periyar River as the water level neared full capacity.

Each shutter was raised by 10 centimetres, and around 250 cusecs of water per second is now flowing out, according to information provided by the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department to the Kerala authorities.

The shutters were opened at 11.35 am after the water level in the 128-year-old dam crossed 136 feet.

The water level rose due to the heavy rainfall in the dam's catchment areas over the past few days.

The move follows days of preparation by the Idukki district administration after Tamil Nadu, which operates the dam, indicated it might open the gates once the water level reached 136 feet.

Earlier, authorities had placed villages including Periyar, Manjumala, Upputhura, Elappara, Ayyappankovil, Kanchiyar, Aanavilasam, and Udumbanchola on high alert.

More than 20 relief camps have been set up, and local police and revenue officials have been instructed to assist with any necessary relocations.

Though the Mullaperiyar Dam is located in Kerala, Tamil Nadu operates it under a 999-year lease agreement signed in 1886.

The issue has long been a source of tension between the two states, with Kerala raising safety concerns due to the age of the dam, while Tamil Nadu maintains that it is crucial for supplying water to its farmlands.