4.1 System for Monitoring and Warning of Water Levels in Dams and Rivers

1. DDMA along with KSEB should decide the time of shutter opening of the required dams based on a three-color alert system(blue, orange, and red), & rule curve for each dam before 25th May. Ensure that DDMA considers information received in this manner with appropriate instruction. Under this condition, only the discharge of water from the dams will be enforced.

2. Issue an officer of not less than Assistant Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Department to the District Emergency Response Centers 24 x 7 on shift basis

3. Assign the duty to the same officer to submit the consolidated details about rainfall, water, and dam water to the District Disaster Management Authority on a daily basis. Ensure that the officer concerned is constantly monitoring the emergency situation in relation to water levels in rivers and dams. Keep an excel file of the amount of rainfall and water level of the river and analyze it and Inform the chances of the flood to District authority daily.

4. After observing flood warning issued by the Central Water Commission (can be seen here http://india water.gov.in/) and inform the State EOC’s , District EOC’s, Local Self Governments, District Irrigation Officers, KSEB Officers about which areas are prone to flooding.

a. The District Irrigation Department has asked the Engineers at the District EOC to determine the amount of water rise in each area depending on the type of water that is expected to flow out of the dam and find out. If the water flows into the river. Make this information pass to all local bodies and publish it to the public as the following.

b. Information on the possibility of opening the dam should be made available to all the President, Secretaries, Chairmen, and Mayors of the respective corporations, municipalities, and gram panchayat.

c. Inform all media

d. Publish on the social media of district collector

e. Publish on the district website

f. Instruct the police, local bodies, and fire and safety department to call the public by mike in coastal areas during orange alert immediately.

g. If the open water is likely to flow across the river, inform the EOC of the respective district.

5. If it is decided to release water from the dams, the blue alert should be issued and all the District Emergency Operations Centres in the districts through which the released water is supposed to travel must be informed without fail (BSNL 1077) the department should try to give warnings at least before 36 hours.

The KSEB, Water Authority, and Irrigation Department have been informed that prior consent should be obtained from all the district collectors of the districts through which the released water is supposed to travel.

6. The above-mentioned departments are instructed that the water levels for red, orange and blue alerts in all the dams and the rule curve mentioning the prerequisites for opening the dam shutters should be informed and permission must be obtained in advance from the district disaster management authorities where the dam is situated and where the dam water flows before June 10th.

7. Not all dams have all three warnings (Red, Orange, and Blue). The district disaster management authorities in the districts through which the released dam water is supposed to travel have been informed which all dams lack these alerts.

8. The list of dams in which evacuation has to be carried out in case of Red alert has to be prepared at the district level in consultation with the Irrigation Department and KSEB. Make sure that the district level officer of the local self-government is also present in the discussion.

9. If an orange warning related to the dam will be issued ensure that the following steps are completed.

a. The District Irrigation Department has asked the Engineers at the District EOC to determine the amount of water rise in each area depending on the type of water that is expected to flow out of the dam and find out. If the water flows into the river. Make this information pass to all local bodies and publish it to the public as the following.

b. Information on the possibility of opening the dam should be made available to all the President, Secretaries, Chairmen, and Mayors of the respective corporations, municipalities, and gram panchayat.

c. Inform all media

d. Publish on the social media of district collector

e. Publish on the district website

f. If the open water is likely to flow across the river, call the public by mike, at least 12 hours before the shore of the river and backwaters.

g. The opening of the dam between 6 pm to 6 am is completely prohibited.

10. The rise in sea level during high tide should be taken into account from INCOIS website, in order to instruct the engineers in the district EOCs for recommendation to allow the release of water from the dams.

11. Once the red warning about the dams is received, the total flow of people in the vulnerable area should be completely replaced into the camps, assuming how much water will rise in each area depending on the water intended to flow out of the dam.

12. The annexure 4 included the names of dams, which can be open in the night also during the unexpected rain. If you are warned that water is discharged from such dams, the matter should be checked and approved within an hour. In addition, the following steps should be taken immediately.

a. The District Irrigation Department has asked the Engineers at the District EOC to determine the amount of water rise in each area depending on the type of water that is expected to flow out of the dam and find out. If the water flows into the river. Make this information pass to all local bodies and publish it to the public as the following.

b. Information on the possibility of opening the dam should be made available to all the President, Secretaries, Chairmen, and Mayors of the respective corporations, municipalities, and gram panchayat.

c. Inform all media

d. Publish on the social media of district collector

e. Publish on the district website

f. Instruct the police, local bodies, and fire and safety department to call the public by mike in coastal areas during orange alert immediately.

g. If the open water is likely to flow across the river, inform the EOC of the respective district. The respective Disaster management also implements a to f steps.

h. In this situation, conduct camps in necessary places as mentioned in annexure -3.