The shutters of the Malankara dam, under the Muvattupuzha Valley Irrigation Project (MVIP), have been opened to facilitate major repair work.

According to an MVIP official, the dam’s water level must be lowered to 36.9 m for the maintenance to begin. To achieve this, water distribution through the project’s canal networks was suspended on Wednesday, and four spillway shutters were fully raised. The water level has currently dropped to 40 m.

“The repair work will commence once the reservoir hits the 36.9-m mark. The maintenance is estimated to take about two weeks, though it could be completed slightly ahead of or after the scheduled time frame,” an official said.

The maintenance works include replacing the shutter screws and installing new rubber seals. “Our objective is to complete these major structural repairs before the arrival of heavy monsoon rain,” the official added.

The Malankara dam primarily stores tailrace water released into the Muvattupuzha river from the Moolamattom powerhouse after electricity generation at the Idukki reservoir. With the Malankara shutters wide open, this water can no longer be impounded and will flow directly downstream into the Muvattupuzha river. Officials noted that the drawdown and subsequent discharge are also likely to temporarily hit power generation at the Malankara small hydroelectric project.