Boulder shuts the Adimali-Munnar stretch of National Highway 85 as Kallar dam shutters are raised in Idukki

20 October 2026

A massive boulder fell onto National Highway 85 at Second Mile during excavation work on the night of Tuesday 20 October 2026, and the Adimali-Munnar stretch was closed completely. Idukki Collector Dr Dinesan Cheruvatt said the closure would continue until all safety risks were addressed, and removing the boulder and securing the area was estimated to take three days. The District Disaster Management Authority had already diverted Munnar-bound traffic through Anachal on 19 October after a loose boulder was found near the 2nd Mile in Pallivasal panchayat. At the Kallar dam, four shutters were to be raised by 20 cm each from 8 pm on 20 October to release up to 80 cumecs, with the water level at 821 metres against a maximum of 824.48 metres. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority issued an orange alert for Thiruvananthapuram, where heavy rain flooded houses in the Vithura-Ponmudi belt and the tribal settlement of Podiyakala ooru was cut off as the Vamanapuram river swelled.