At 137-feet, Mullaiperiyar dam may open any time

The Tamil Nadu government, which owns and operates the dam located upstream of Idukki Dam, has informed that it may release water into the Periyar river on the Kerala side from Mullaiperiyar reservoir due to high inflows, an official release said.

The water level in the Mullaiperiyar Dam stood at 137.4 feet. In view of the advice by Tamil Nadu authorities, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has also decided to release more water from Cheruthoni dam, which is part of the Idukki reservoir, it said. 

People living close to Periyar river banks in Ernakulam, Idukki, and Thrissur have been asked to comply with the directions issued by the Collectors of these districts and move to relief camps, the release said. 

Idukki District Collector Jeevan Babu said people living on the banks of the Periyar river have to be extremely alert and should shift to safer places.