Chennai, Nov 10 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu Water Works Department which is maintaining the Parambikkum dam in Kerala will replace its damaged shutter within a period of 10 days.

Sources in the Water Resources Department told IANS that one of the three shutters of the dam situated in Palakkad, Kerala was washed away on September 21.

The heavy rains in the catchment areas of the dam after the northeast monsoon have led to the delay in the completion of the work of the shutter of the dam.

The Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department has already awarded the contract for replacement of the shutter at a cost of Rs 7.05 crore to a Tamil Nadu-based contracting firm.

After the shutter was washed away, 16000 cusecs of water were discharged towards the Athirapally river causing water level to rise in the river. The Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department had set up a deadline of October 20 for replacing the shutter. However, incessant rains in the catchment area led to the delay in replacement of shutter in the dam.

Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister S. Duraimurugan and Electricity minister Senthil Balaji inspected the Parambikkulam dam site after the shutter was washed away.