The retaining wall of the Thumbe water pumping station, abutting the Netravathi, is in the danger following two landslips. Concerns have increased now owing to flood in the Netravathi because of heavy rains in the upstream.
Now, the Mangaluru City Corporation has sought the guidance of experts from Hyderabad to prevent further slips in the same areas.
After the wall near the vented dam slipped six months ago, another portion near the jackwell, close to the pumping station, too slipped about 10 days ago, a senior official of Mangaluru City Corporation said on Friday.
The slip near the dam is 35m wide and near the jackwell the wall has slipped 20m wide. It has slipped to a depth of 9m at both the places.
Deputy Mayor Mohammed Kunjathbail told reporters in Thumbe vented dam during a visit on Friday that ₹10 crore has been sought from the government for rebuilding them. Temporary prevention has been done by keeping sand bags.
K.S. Linge Gowda, Executive Engineer (Water Supply), said that experts from a Hyderabad company visited the station on Thursday in connection with preventive measures by keeping poly-geo fiber bags used to mitigate sea erosion. Those are basically heavy sand bags.
The company experts are involved in the prevention of sea erosion. They would submit a report to the corporation on the cost and temporary preventive methods.
With the flood water in the river at the dam crossing 8m two days ago and varying depending on the rainfall in the upstream areas, the officials are closely monitoring the condition of the retaining wall. Temporary barricades have been put up there to prevent people from going closer to the river bank.
Another engineer said that the site where the second landslip took place recently has lose soil as earth had been filled up there by laying water sucking pipelines to the jackwell.
If water level reaches 10m the pumping station would really be in danger and nothing can be predicted about the condition of the retaining wall, he said.
The new vented dam has been built to 12m high considering the last highest level flood reported on July 26, 1974.
The water level in the river had touched 11.89 mts high then submerging the pumping station, according to Mohammed Nazir, Commissioner of the corporation.
