Now Reading: Idukki reservoir rises 6 ft in a day as rains lash Kerala
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Idukki reservoir rises 6 ft in a day as rains lash Kerala
The water level in Kerala's Idukki reservoir rose by over six feet in a single day after torrential rain in the catchment areas. As of 1 pm on Saturday, the level stood…
The Story in Brief
The water level in Kerala's Idukki reservoir rose by over six feet in a single day after torrential rain in the catchment areas. As of 1 pm on Saturday, the level stood at 2,336.04 ft, up from 2,330.90 ft on Friday morning. A Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) dam safety official said the catchment recorded 154.4 mm of rain in 24 hours, pushing storage from 29% on Wednesday to 35.13% on Saturday.
Despite the sharp rise, the level is 36.84 ft lower than on this day last year. At Mullaperiyar dam, the water level rose 2.95 ft to 115.35 ft. The KSEB official noted that in August 2020 the dam gained 6.18 ft in a day following 226 mm of rain, and warned that if conditions persist, the Idukki level could touch 2,340 ft within two to three days. Shutters have been opened at the Malankara, Pambla, Kallar and Kallarkutty dams.
The Indian Opinion
The sudden jump in the Idukki level triggers predictable alarm on social media about dam safety. Yet the reservoir stands 36.84 ft below last year's mark on this date, and storage is just 35%. Kerala has heard cries of 'unprecedented' every monsoon since 2018. The real test is not today's inflow but whether the catchment gets another 226 mm like 2020. Will the KSEB's forecast of 2,340 ft in two days hold, or will this spurt prove to be a false alarm?
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
