In what has come as slight relief for the people of Kerala, the water levels at the Cheruthoni dam in Idukki has decreased by half a feet on Saturday, 11 August.
The water levels at the reservoir as of 6 am on Saturday was recorded to be 2401.16 feet as opposed to 2401.60 feet at 10 pm on 10 August. The Full Reservoir Level of (FRL) at Cheruthoni dam is 2403 feet.
As per a report by Asianet news, 750 cubic feet of water are being released per second from the dam at the moment.
It was also reported that the intensity of the flow of water into the dam also reduced on Saturday.
All five shutters of Cheruthoni dam remain open. While the first shutter was opened on Thursday - the first time in 26 years - the remaining sluice gates were opened on 10 August.
The government of Kerala in an official statement on Friday evening has reported that the death toll due to the incessant rains witnessed in the state for the last three days has risen to 29.
Of the deaths, the government said 25 were caused due to soil erosion and four because of drowning.
Two persons each have died from the districts of Palakkad and Ernakulam, 6 from Malappuram, 12 persons from Idukki, one person from Kozhikode, two persons from Kannur, and 4 persons from Wayanad.
After a brief lull in the monsoons, Kerala witnessed heavy rains since 8 August, triggering landslides and floods which caused serious damage to human lives and properties.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on 9 August called for an emergency press conference. “The very fact that the shutters of 24 dams have been opened tells us the severity of the issue,” said the CM.
(This story was first published on The News Minute and has been republished with permission.)
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