An orange alert has been issued to people living on the banks of the Karamanthodu River after the water level in the Banasura Sagar reservoir under Kuttiyadi augmentation project of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) at Padinharethara in the district neared its full capacity.
The full storage level of the reservoir is 775.6 metres, and the alert was issued after the level rose to 773.10 metres on Saturday noon as against 768.6 metres during the corresponding day last year, dam safety officials said.
The upper level of the reservoir is 774 metres. When the water level increases to 774 metres, a red alert would be issued, officials said. It was expected that a red alert would be issued in the late night as the inflow of water to the reservoir was considerably increasing from the catchment area owing to heavy rain, the officials added.
Meanwhile, an emergency meeting chaired by Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran here on Saturday decided to open the dam only in day time.
The meeting was convened to assess the situations in the wake of the orange alert issued by the dam safety officials.
All precautionary measures were adopted prior to opening the dam and people living in disaster-prone areas, especially on the banks of the Karamanthodu river, were shifted to secure places, District Collector A. Geetha said after visiting the reservoir areas.
As many as 773 members of the 196 families were shifted to 14 relief camps opened in various parts of the district, Ms. Geetha said.
A round-the-clock functioning control room has been opened at the office of the district panchayat deputy director to coordinate disaster management operations. Phone numbers -04936 202634, 04936 202663.
