An orange alert has been issued to people living on the banks of the Karamanthodu River after the water level in the Banasura Sagar reservoir under Kuttiyadi augmentation project of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) at Padinharethara in the district neared its full capacity.
The full storage level of the reservoir is 775.6 metres, and the alert was issued after the level rose to 773.10 metres on Saturday noon as against 768.6 metres during the corresponding day last year, dam safety officials said.
The upper level of the reservoir is 774 metres. When the water level increases to 774 metres, a red alert would be issued, officials said. It was expected that a red alert would be issued in the late night as the inflow of water to the reservoir was considerably increasing from the catchment area owing to heavy rain, the officials added.
