Mullaperiyar Water Level Crosses 136 ft; Tamil Nadu Issues First Flood Warning

Kumali: The water level in the Mullaperiyar Dam has risen to 136.20 feet, crossing the 136-feet mark on Friday. Following this, Tamil Nadu issued the first-stage flood warning at 8 PM on Friday night. As per the rule curve, Tamil Nadu is permitted to store water up to the full reservoir level of 142 feet until November 30.

Tamil Nadu stopped drawing water from the dam completely from 6 AM on Thursday after the water level touched 135 feet. The rise in water level is attributed to the suspension of water withdrawal along with intermittent heavy rain in the catchment areas.

On the same day last year, the water level stood at 121.90 feet—an increase of 14.30 feet compared to the previous year. Between Friday and Saturday morning (a 24-hour period ending at 6 AM), the dam received an inflow of 1,313 cubic feet of water per second. Rainfall recorded in the region during this period was 3.4 mm near the dam, 24.4 mm in Thekkady, and 10 mm in Kumali.

Meanwhile, the water level in the Vaigai Dam in Theni—where Mullaperiyar water is stored—has dropped to 62.07 feet.