Flood alert: Kerala opens spillway, barrages to release excess water

Authorities opened the Thottappally spillway and barrages in Kerala's Alappuzha to release excess floodwaters following heavy rain. Officials intensified flood preparedness, deployed rescue teams, readied relief camps and monitored rising inflows from the Pampa and Manimala rivers

Alappuzha (Kerala): Authorities have opened the shutters of the Thottappally spillway and barrages in Alappuzha district following heavy rain and rising river levels in neighbouring Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts, District Collector Shaji V Nair said on Saturday.

The move is aimed at facilitating the discharge of excess water into the Arabian Sea as inflows from the Pampa and Manimala rivers are expected to rise. Floodwaters from the Pampa and Manimala rivers, which flow through flood-hit Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts, eventually drain into the low-lying Kuttanad region of Alappuzha before emptying into the Arabian Sea.

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The district has the Thottappally spillway, while the barrages at Thanneermukkom and Andhakaranazhi regulate water flow and prevent seawater intrusion to facilitate agriculture.

Speaking after inspecting flood preparedness measures at the Thottappally spillway, the collector said there was no cause for concern and that all necessary arrangements had been made to ensure the smooth discharge of excess water into the sea.

He said 39 of the spillway’s 40 shutters were functional, with 34 already opened. All 39 operational shutters will be opened by this evening.

“Although the inflow is not very high at present, it is expected to increase by evening. We are fully prepared to handle the situation,” he said. The collector said all 90 shutters of the Thanneermukkom barrage and the four shutters at Andhakaranazhi had also been opened to facilitate the free discharge of excess water.

Sandbar-cutting operations at Andhakaranazhi began this morning.
He said all necessary arrangements had been made to prevent water levels from rising in the Kuttanad region.

A review meeting involving all concerned departments was held on Saturday morning to assess flood preparedness, he said, adding that officials of the Revenue Department and other agencies would continue monitoring the situation.

Relief camps have been kept ready in all taluks, and two camps have already been opened in the district, he said. The collector said warnings had been issued to residents living along riverbanks and that control rooms were functioning in all taluks.

As part of the preparedness measures, a 20-member emergency response team, along with three rescue boats, had been deployed to Chengannur, where floodwaters from the eastern high ranges first enter the district.

He urged the public to avoid venturing into water bodies and advised fishermen operating in rivers and backwaters to exercise extreme caution. The weather office issued a ‘red alert’ for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, warning of extremely heavy rainfall.

An ‘orange alert’ has been issued for Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts. A ‘red alert’ indicates extremely heavy rainfall of over 204 mm in 24 hours, while an ‘orange alert’ means very heavy rain of 115 mm to 204 mm.