859 families may have to be moved, the minister said (File)
People living downstream from the Mullaperiyar dam are being evacuated as a measure of abundant caution ahead of Tamil Nadu opening the dam gates tomorrow morning, Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine said on Thursday.
The minister said, in a release, that Tamil Nadu will open the dam's shutters at 7 am tomorrow and water will be released to maintain its level at 138 feet till October 31.
He said that there was nothing to be concerned about and people do not have to panic as the storage capacity of Idukki was 70.5 TMC as compared to 12.758 TMC of Mullaperiyar and hence, the water released from the latter would only raise the former's level by a quarter of a foot.
"Therefore, Idukki will be able to contain the water released from the Mullaperiyar,'' the minister said.
Meanwhile, state Revenue Minister K Rajan, while speaking to a news channel, said the evacuation of people began Thursday morning and was being carried out in three phases.
A maximum of 859 families comprising 3,320 members may have to be moved, he said and added that the government has made arrangements to accommodate them in camps.
Augustine, in the release, said that as the water level in the 24 kilometre stretch from Mullaperiyar to Idukki is expected to rise by about 60 cm, a total of 1,079 people from 350 families who would be affected by the two-foot-high flood have been evacuated.
All the preparations made during the opening of the Idukki dam have been taken ahead of the opening of the Mullaperiyar dam, he said.
He also said that all the departments like Revenue, Health, Fire Force, Forest and Police have formed special teams and completed the security arrangements.
Besides, the police will be patrolling the areas where people have been evacuated from their homes.