KOTTAYAM: Idukki District Collector A.J. Rajan, who on Sunday visited the Mullaperiyar reservoir which registered an unprecedented rise in water level on Saturday night, called for an inspection by the Dam Safety Authority (DSA).

Speaking to The Hindu on Sunday, Mr. Rajan said the water level which remained at 134.2 ft on Saturday evening registered a sudden increase to 135 ft (just one ft below the maximum level of 136 ft) within a few hours. This unexpected increase in water level needed serious expert study and he recommended to the Minister for Water Resources to seek the Dam Safety Authority's intervention.

Mr. Rajan said the rate of outflow of seepage water into the gallery had reached 68 litres per minute (lpm) and this also needed expert attention immediately.

He sought the attention of the Dam Safety Authority and the Statutory Technical Committee on Dam Safety on these two issues.

Meanwhile, after a sudden spurt in water level on Saturday night, the inflow appeared to have petered out, as there was no further increase after it reached the 135 ft mark. The catchments received only sparse rain on Sunday.

It was suspected that one of the reasons for this sudden rise in water level could be a sudden decrease in the outflow of water to the Tamil Nadu side. However, official inquiries made it clear that there was no such action on the part of the Tamil Nadu authorities.

Another reason could be a heavy rain in the catchments of the Mullaperiyar reservoir, especially in the Chokkampetti and Thannikudi areas in the deep interiors of the tiger reserve, it is said.

The Kerala authorities, however, are not leaving anything to chance. Arrangements are in place for hourly inspection of the water level in the reservoir. The district authorities have already issued an alert to those residing on either side of the Periyar.

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