Kerala Water Resources Minister inspects Mullaperiyar Dam amid concerns over rise in water level

Idukki (Kerala) [India], October 29 (ANI): Amid the concern over the rise in water level in Mullaperiyar Dam due to heavy rainfall, Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine inspected the dam site on Thursday.
Two shutters of Mullaperiyar dam were opened today morning.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a heavy to very rainfall warning for Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka from October 28 to November 1.
"Heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated/few places very likely over Tamil Nadu and isolated heavy rainfall over Kerala & Mahe during October 28-November 1, 2021. Heavy rainfall at isolated places is very likely over Coastal Andhra Pradesh during October 28-October 31 with isolated very heavy falls on October 29. Heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Coastal & South Interior Karnataka on October 31 and over Rayalaseema during October 29-October 30," said IMD in a series of tweets.
Supreme Court on Thursday had asked the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments to abide by the decision taken by Supervisory Committee regarding the appropriate water level in the Mullaperiyar dam on the Periyar river in Kerala.
The top court was hearing petitions filed by Kerala-based parties seeking urgent directions to restrict the water level in the 126-year-old Mullaperiyar dam, which is being managed by Tamil Nadu for drawing water to its districts.
The supervisory committee has recommended maintaining the Mullaperiyar dam water level at 139.5 feet.
Kerala wants the court to direct Tamil Nadu, which manages the dam, to not allow water stored to cross 139 feet. The government has said the increase in water level and its eventual release would risk flood and endanger the lives of lakhs of people in Kerala.
It has also asked that directions be issued to keep the upper water level at 139 feet till the next date of hearing. The government has said that in 2018 the top court had ordered that during flood situations, the water level should not go beyond 139.
Tamil Nadu government stated that it has no difficulty maintaining the level at 139 feet till November 10.
Tamil Nadu government has said the water level in the dam was 137.6 feet and argued that Kerala was exaggerating the situation. The rains had already stopped and there were top court judgments that fixed the maximum water level at 142 feet.
Meanwhile, dam authorities in Kerala are taking cognizance of the situation arising out of the torrential rainfall. Shutters of several dams have been opened to prevent them from overflowing. According to official estimates, heavy rains in the state have claimed the lives of 27 people. Of these, 14 deaths were reported in the Kottayam district, 10 in the Idukki district, and one each in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, and Kozhikode districts. (ANI)