Thread by @jamewils

Idukki reservoir, Kerala's biggest, is on RED Alert!

But nothing to worry, when to open it will be decided soon after State Rule Level Committee today noon.

There will be only moderate releases with present situation as we have plenty of dynamic cushion

#KeralaFloods2022

We regulated Idukki since July 20 to keep it at check looking at various global forecasts for 14 days, not blindly following IMD.

The professional reservoir management of KSEBL resulted to save Kochi from flooding last week, as Idukki absorbed all very heavy flows

Idukki seen 600 to 800 cumecs inflow during last couple of days. All that were absorbed by Idukki, when Aluva Siva temple submerged. Dread to imagine NO Idukki-Idamalayar then, Kochi airport & many low lying areas would be under water.

But keep on blaming dams & engineers

Idamalayar, Kerala's 2nd biggest also played a huge role in absorbing the floods. It absorbed between 600 to 700 cumecs during the current flooding.

Peak flood absorbed by both these reservoirs were 1500 cumecs (53,000 cusecs). That is what you witnessed in Poringalkuthu!

Remember after 1961 floods, Kerala's political leadership & engineers take a considered decision to build big dams to reduce the flood frequency.

So we had all big dams now saving us! But never demand unlimited capacity, everything has a threshold.

That is nature's RULE

Go back and read classics of Takazhi & Pottakad to understand how people battled the floods before these dams.

Idukki's only SIN is it saved Kerala from many severe floods since 1974 till 2018, when once in a 100 threatened a dam overflow!

Here journalists write fantasy reports & best selling books to blame dams for all floods!

Global funding agencies come to offer Utopian solutions, PhD scholars & Professors living in ivory towers advise us how to manage floods without grappling an iota of nuances of Kerala

We are unique! Our topography, orographic, weather pattern, the travel time of runoff all leave us no time for take decisions. It is a tough call for a dam manager to take all his experience over decades, when top bureaucracy trusts us the onus on us is immense.

We are ready too

We believe that our allegiance is to our society! We are public servants and we owe back a lot to our society & we are proud to raise to the occasion and deliver!

We don't want ur bouquets but stop throwing bricks at least!

Stop seeing everything through politics's yellow lens

There is full co-operation we are getting from our counterparts in TN side to manage PAP system.

None of us are slept for last 5 days! The DCs, SDMA officials all are around us. We are taking calls within no time fully realising the great responsibility on our shoulders!

END

State Rule Curve Monitoring Committee recommended Government to open Idukki reservoir tomorrow morning 10.00 am and start with a spillway release 50 cumecs.

It is endorsed by the Hon'ble CM and actions have been initiated by DDMA, Idukki & KSEBL authorities