Idukki: After the flood havoc in 2018, the shutters of Idukki dam will be opened again on Tuesday by 11 in the morning. The shutters are going to be opened for the fifth time in the history of the dam. Three shutters of Cheruthoni dam, which is part of the Idukki hydro power project, will be opened by 35 centimeters each. The district administration directed the people dwelling on the banks of Periyar river to stay vigilant. One lakh litres of water per second will flow out of the dam if the shutters are opened.
According to the rule curve to regulate the water flow, red alert will be sounded when the water level reaches at 2397.8 feet. Though it is allowed to wait till the water level reaches 2398.86 feet, the shutters need to be opened to maintain it safely. Idukki arch dam and Kulamavu dams do not have shutters. Only Cheruthoni dam has shutters to release water.
Last opened in 2018
When the dam is about to be opened after three years, the authorities have made all preparations. Last time, all five shutters of the dam were opened on August 9 in 2018. It was after 26 years the dam shutters were opened. However, the subsequent flood affected several people living on the banks of Periyar.
The water level in the dam had reached 2395.05 on July 30, 2018. It was decided to conduct trial run when the water level reaches 2398 feet. However, water level rose due to unexpected rainfall and landslide in the catchment areas. On August 9, water level touched 2398.8 feet. The third shutter was opened at 12.30 pm. But the water level kept rising and all five shutters were opened on the following day.
