While asking people in Dakshina Kannada to conserve water this summer, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner M.P. Mullai Muhilan said on Wednesday that industries have been allowed to draw only 50% of their water requirement from the vented dam of AMR Power Pvt. Ltd. at Shambhoor on the upstream of Thumbe vented dam (which supplied drinking water to Mangaluru) across the Netravati.
Talking to reporters in Mangaluru on Wednesday, Mr. Muhilan said that water is not being supplied for agricultural use from any of the vented dams in the district. He reiterated that there will not be any rationing in the drinking water supply to Mangaluru city as Thumbe dam had enough water in store.
As on Wednesday, the water level at Thumbe vented dam was at 5.48 m high against the maximum storage level of 6 m. The water storage at AMR vented dam was at 17.63 m high against the maximum level of 18 m. The water at Harekala-Adyar vented dam was at 2 m, while water at Biliyoor vented dam, near Uppinangady, was at 4 m. Mr. Muhilan said if the water at Thumbe reaches 5 m, water from AMR dam will be released to Thumbe. “This will help us sustain the demand for 50 more days,” he said. In case of need of more water, the water from Biliyoor dam will be released, he said.
Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer K. Anandh said that five gram panchayats of Ullal taluk presently faced water crisis. As many as nine tankers have been making 30 trips per day to supply water to areas including Balepuni, Narimogaru, Manjanady, and Naringana, he said.
