Amid heavy rain, water level in Kerala’s Idukki reservoir rises by over 6 ft in a single day
Torrential rain in the catchment areas of the hilly district of Idukki has resulted in a sudden increase in the water levels across its reservoirs
Torrential rain in the catchment areas of the hilly district of Idukki has resulted in a sudden increase in the water levels across its reservoirs. The water level in the Idukki reservoir rose by over 6 feet in a single day. As of 1:00 p.m. on Saturday (August 1, 2026), the water level stood at 2,336.04 ft, compared to 2,330.90 ft at 7:00 a.m. on Friday. The water level, however, is 36.84 ft lower than on this day last year.
It was 2372.88 ft (69.82%) on August 1, 2025. A Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) dam safety official stated that the catchment area recorded 154.4 mm of rainfall over the last 24 hours. On Wednesday, the storage in the Idukki reservoir was at 29%, but by Saturday, it jumped to 35.13%. “The heavy showers resulted in a sudden increase in the reservoir’s storage,” the official said. The official noted that on August 7, 2020, the dam recorded a single-day storage increase of 6.18 ft, followed by another 5.5 ft the next day.
“That was the highest inflow to the dam in recent memory. In 2020, the water level was at 2,347 ft and jumped to 2,353 ft in a single day, driven by 226 mm of rainfall in the catchment areas. As the reservoir level rises, the surface area expands, meaning a larger volume of water is required to achieve each additional foot of storage,” the official explained. The official further noted that if the rainfall and inflow continue at the same rate, the water level could reach 2,340 ft within two to three days.
Mullaperiyar dam At the Mullaperiyar dam, the water level rose by 2.95 ft in a single day, moving from 112.45 ft on Friday morning to 115.35 ft at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. With the water levels rising, the shutters of the Malankara, Pambla, Kallar, and Kallarkutty dams have been opened.
The BriefWire