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Malampuzha shutters not to be opened now

Palakkad: Despite a red alert was sounded in the district on Saturday, the irrigation department’s decision to postpone the opening of the shutters of Malampuzha dam has brought a sigh of relief to the residents of Palakkad as well as the neighbouring districts of Thrissur and Malappuram.

The irrigation department has withdrawn the warning issued on the opening of the shutters on Saturday, fearing the dam water might flood Bharathapuzha flowing through the three districts.



The decision not to open the shutters of the reservoir was taken at a meeting of the district disaster management authorities presided over by minister for water resources K Krishnankutty and minister for SC and ST welfare A K Balan at the conference hall in Collectorate here on Saturday.

The water resources minister said the water level of Malampuzha crossed 110 meters on Saturday and if it reaches 112m only, then the shutters will be opened. The full-reservoir level is 115.06m.

The minister said, “The government has decided to evacuate people from the flood- and landslide-prone areas in the district. They will be brought to nearby relief camps. If anybody refuses to leave danger zones, the government had allowed the officials to use minor force to bring them to the camp.”

Krishnankutty has appealed to the inmates of relief camps not to leave till the situation becomes normal as there are reports that people in some camps had returned to their houses due to the absence of electricity and water. These problems will be solved on war footing, the minister said.

He said 7,356 people from 1,703 families are housed in 70 relief camps in the district. The government has allotted Rs 2.5 crore to the district for flood-relief work. Palakkad taluk was allotted Rs 50 lakh and other taluks Rs 20 lakh each, the minister said.

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