Despite the opening of the shutters of the Cheruthoni dam of the Idukki reservoir, water level in the reservoir increased on Thursday due to high inflow through the Periyar.
The water level at 5 p.m. was 2,398.24 ft.
The level had dropped to 2,398.10 ft at 9 p.m. on Wednesday following the opening of the three shutters by 0.34 metres on Tuesday.
An official of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) said on Thursday that there was 94.42% storage and the spillway discharge was 0.378 mcm (million cubic metres) per hour. While the gross inflow per hour was 1.361 mcm, the discharge of water for power generation at the Moolamattom power plant was 0.421 mcm.
At orange-alert level
The official said that as the new rule curve came into effect on Thursday morning, the water level was at the orange-alert level. The power generation on Wednesday was 14.86 mu.
As per the new rule curve level fixed by the Central Water Commission (CWC), the orange alert level is 2,398.31 ft and the upper rule curve is 2,399.31 ft.
The official said that the water was likely to reach the red alert level on Thursday night. As per the decision of the high power rule committee, the water discharge through the gates would continue at the same volume. No decision on increasing the discharge would be taken during the night.
He said inflow suddenly increased when there was rainfall and then subsided. A decision on whether to increase the volume of water discharge would be taken on Friday morning after analysing the inflow and the rule curve level in addition to the India Meteorological Department predictions on rainfall.
In Mullaperiyar
The water in level in the Mullaperiyar dam reached 135.10 ft at 5 p.m. on Thursday. There was an inflow of 3,680 cfs and Tamil Nadu was drawing water at 1,867 cfs. The maximum water level is 142 ft.
