Kerala rains: Kozhikode on high alert as Kakkayam reservoir nears maximum level

Kozhikode district in Kerala remained on high alert on Monday as the Kakkayam reservoir, part of the Kuttiyadi Hydroelectric Project, reached 97.31 per cent of its total storage capacity following two days of heavy rainfall. A red alert is in effect at the dam, with authorities releasing water downstream to manage the rising levels.

Official measurements recorded at 7 a.m. on Monday placed the water level at 757.67 metres (2,485.8 feet), just 0.38 metres short of the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 758.05 metres. The total storage now stands at 33.0672 million cubic metres, representing 97.31 per cent of the reservoir's overall capacity.

To ease the pressure, engineers opened two spillway gates on Sunday, each now kept open by 0.25 feet to safely discharge water downstream, according to an official release. Over the past 24 hours, the reservoir received 5.9241 million cubic metres of inflow. Of this, 0.4793 million cubic metres was released through the spillways, while 3.3123 million cubic metres was used for power generation, yielding 4.6831 million units of electricity.

The current figures are notably higher than the corresponding period last year, when the water level stood at 756.21 metres and storage was at 86.55 per cent (29.4097 million cubic metres). The rapid surge follows intense rainfall across the catchment area, with the Kakkayam region recording 104 millimetres of rain in the last 24 hours alone. The cumulative rainfall since June 1 has reached 2,990 millimetres.

In a related measure, officials confirmed that the control shaft gate connecting from the Banasura dam in Wayanad has remained fully shut since 11:15 a.m. on June 29 to avoid diverting additional water into the Kakkayam system. District authorities are closely monitoring the situation, and residents along downstream riverbanks have been advised to remain alert while spillway discharges continue.