The Water Resources Department on Friday said steps have been taken to keep the water level in dams and barrages under control with the onset of southwest monsoon.
Water Resources Minister Roshi Augustine on Friday reviewed the arrangements made by the department ahead of the seasonal rains.
A close watch is being kept on storage in 16 dams and four barrages managed by the department. A Blue Alert has been issued for Meenkara Dam where the storage is 72%.
The Thiruvananthapuram district administration has announced that the four shutters of the Neyyar dam will be raised by 20 cm by 9 am on Saturday. According to the Department of Water Resources, the storage in the dam is 81%. People living near the river have been advised to be cautious.
Mr. Augustine directed officials to ensure that the water level in the Malankara Dam is under check. All the remaining dams have between 20% and 65% storage.
The department said that the work of desilting various rivers is also going on before the monsoon. This work has been completed in 14 rivers.
The minister urged the officers of the department to act immediately and not wait for permission from higher authorities to deal with monsoon-related emergencies.