Idukki: With the monsoon unleashing intense rainfall across Kerala, water levels in several key dams in Idukki district have surged to alarming levels, prompting authorities to issue a red alert in four reservoirs—Moozhiyar, Lower Periyar, Kallarkutty, and Ponmudi. The Mullaperiyar dam has also crossed the critical 130-feet mark earlier than anticipated this season, raising fresh concerns for downstream safety.
As of the latest readings, the Mullaperiyar reservoir has already breached the 130-foot threshold, a level that typically triggers close monitoring and regulatory coordination between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, the Idukki dam, a major hydroelectric reservoir, recorded a water level of 2344.01 feet, indicating a swift and substantial rise due to both summer showers and the early onset of the monsoon.
Detailed dam-level data reveals that Moozhiyar dam has reached 189.60 meters, just shy of its full capacity of 192.63 meters. In Ponmudi, the water level climbed to 706.50 meters against a maximum of 707.75 meters. Kallarkutty is now at 456.20 meters, nearly touching its peak capacity of 456.59 meters. Lower Periyar, one of the most closely watched reservoirs, has reached 252.90 meters—just 10 centimeters below its full limit of 253 meters.
Despite the rising water levels, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) finds some relief in the improved storage at the Idukki dam compared to last year. As of May 24—when the monsoon officially hit Kerala—the dam stood at 2329.88 feet. Though that was 3.5 feet below last year’s reading on the same date, the heavy rains that followed rapidly pushed the level up by more than 15 feet in just one week. The dam is currently estimated to hold about 42 percent of its total storage capacity.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, especially with forecasts indicating more intense rainfall in the days ahead. Disaster management teams and dam safety units remain on alert as precautionary measures are put in place to ensure the safety of surrounding regions.