Industries, major consumers asked to reduce water consumption by 30% in summer

Keeping water conservation a top priority ahead of summer, the Dakshina Kannada district administration asked industries and other large consumers to submit their plan to reduce water usage by at least 30% during February-April.

Chairing a preliminary meeting on drinking water, Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S. said the level of consumption by industries and other consumers should be brought down by 30% in February and April. Such a reduction, he said would help in ensuring uninterrupted usage of available water till the second week of June.

140 days

“The availability of water sufficiently for 90 days during the summer can be stretched up to 140 days with the proposed reduction. We have to make plans till the second week of June when we can expect bountiful showers,” the Deputy Commissioner said, and asked everybody to contribute towards more frugal use of water between February and April.

The administration is coming out with a contingency plan on water usage by taking into account a likely delay in the monsoon, he said.

Plans sought

Representatives of Mangaluru Special Economic Zone and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited said they drew 60 million litres of water per day (MLD) from the AMR dam, which is upstream the Thumbe vented dam, Mangaluru’s only water source. Mr. Senthil asked the representatives to submit their plan for reducing water consumption in a week’s time.

An official from Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers, which gets 9 MLD, said they will stop fertiliser production between April 25 and May 31.

Mr. Senthil asked the Mangaluru City Corporation to inform other major consumers to submit their plans for reducing the usage of water.

Impounding water

“We need to place facts before people while asking them to limit water usage,” he said. Officials were asked to close gates at the Thumbe vented dam at the same time when the AMR dam closes its gate. The administration has planned to impound water at 6 meters at the Thumbe this time, he said.

While asking the Major Irrigation Department to keep day-to-day note of water levels at Thumbe, AMR dam and two other water reservoirs, Mr. Senthil directed that water from these reservoirs should not be released without his permission.

Power shutdown

He asked civic and Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (MESCOM) officials to give prior information to people of the shutdown in water and power supply.

Mr. Senthil asked officials from Horticulture and Agriculture Departments to inform farmers against using drinking water stored in reservoirs for their crops.