Water in Mullaperiyar dam rises to 137.09 ft; NH traffic disrupted

Idukki, Nov 15 (UNI) The water level in the 110-year-old Mullaperiyar dam rose to 137.09 ft. this morning even as traffic on the Kambam-Kumily stretch of the Kollam-Theni National Higway was disrupted as gushing waters flooded and damaged parts of the road.

Kerala Revenue Minister K P Rajendran convened a meeting with the District Collector and area representatives to review the situation here today even as State Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran left for the Mullaperiyar dam site this morning.

Besides Mr Premachandran, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala, former water resources minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and former MLA E M Augusty also left for the site this morning.

State Water Resources Department Chief Engineer K Diwakaran, who had inspected the Mullaperiyar dam following instructions from Mr Premachandran, has reported that the seepage through the 'Baby dam' next to the main Mullaperiyar dam was ''serious.'' The district authorities had sounded a 'high alert' in the Periyar reservoir area yesterday after the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam, situated on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border crossed the maximum permissible storage level of 136 ft.

Traffic on the Kamban-Kumily stretch of the National Highway 220 from Kollam to Theni, has been disrupted since yesterday as Tamil Nadu diverted huge quantum of water through the Irachilpalam corridor. The gushing waters flooded the path near Irachil culvert and damaged the road. The traffic was now being routed through Chellarkovil.

UNI XR ARC ROY VD HS1523