Need for balancing reservoir for city under study

Minister for Minor Irrigation J.C. Madhuswamy on Tuesday said that the department was examining whether Mangaluru needs a balancing reservoir for drinking water supply in addition to the existing Thumbe vented dam and the Harekala-Adyar vented dam-cum-bridge which is under construction.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone for a vented dam near Byndoor in Udupi district, Mr. Madhuswamy said that the department has identified three more sites along the course of the Netravathi for constructing vented dams. The Harekala-Adyar vented dam being constructed at a cost of ₹ 174 crore would not only ensure drinking water supply to Mangaluru Assembly Constituency but also it would irrigate about a hundred acres of land, he said.

Inspecting the Harekala dam site near Mangaluru earlier in the day, Mr. Madhuswamy said that the dam besides preventing saline water ingress into the upper areas of the Netravathi would provide a 10-m-long bridge connecting the southern bank with the northern bank along which the Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway runs.

The 520 m long dam with 52 vents could store 661.54 mcft water and will serve many other purposes, the Minister said. The groundwater table along the backwater too would considerably increase, he said and added that the economic condition of the residents of the area would also improve.

Secretary to government, Minor Irrigation Department, Mruthyunjaya Swamy, Executive Engineer Gokuldas and others were present.