Silt fills almost half the storage in Kerala’s Malankara dam causing capacity crisis
The Malankara dam in Kerala is facing a capacity crisis as nearly half of its reservoir is filled with silt. Officials are coordinating with the KSEB to manage water levels and prevent flooding, while planning for a major desilting project.
Why it matters
Reservoir siltation significantly reduces water storage capacity, complicating flood management and irrigation efforts during monsoon seasons.
Nearly half of the storage capacity of the Malankara dam in Idukki, part of the Muvattupuzha Valley Irrigation Project (MVIP), is filled with silt, severely reducing its volume. The full reservoir level of the dam is 42 m.
According to officials, a 2021 study conducted by the Kerala Engineering Research Institute (KERI) found that silt occupied 48.95% of the reservoir’s total storage capacity. Due to this reduced capacity, MVIP officials are facing a serious crisis in managing water storage and preventing flooding in the Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha rivers.
“The Malankara dam primarily stores tailrace water released from the Moolamattom powerhouse after electricity generation at the Idukki reservoir. With the Malankara shutters wide open, this water flows directly downstream into the Thodupuzha river and then to the Muvattupuzha river,” said an MVIP official.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in