Authorities decide against Mullaperiyar Dam opening due to reduced inflow

Considering the reduced inflow of water into the reservoir, the authorities decided on Tuesday not to open the Mullaperiyar dam, which had experienced heavy rainfall in its catchment area the previous day.

The decision came a day after Tamil Nadu authorities, responsible for managing the over 125-year-old dam, announced the intention to open its shutters to release excess water through the spillway.

On Tuesday, the Idukki district authorities confirmed that the shutters of the Mullaperiyar dam would remain closed, citing a decrease in water inflow to the reservoir after rains in the catchment area subsided.

Officials stated that the current water level was at 138.75 ft, and due to the reduced inflow, there was no need to raise the shutters to release excess water.

The southern region of Tamil Nadu and the Periyar Tiger Reserve experienced heavy rainfall for three days until Monday, leading to a significant inflow into the Mullaperiyar dam.

District authorities had received warnings from the Cumbum Water Resources Department office regarding the rising water level. The dam's maximum storage limit is 142 ft.

''We had received information that, due to heavy inflow, shutters would be opened in a phased manner to release excess water,'' an official said. However, since the rains subsided, the warning was withdrawn.

In response to the initial warning, authorities had issued alerts for people residing on the banks of the Periyar River, advising them to exercise caution.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)