Water problem eases a bit but no inflow in Swarna at Baje yet

The drinking water situation appears to be easing slightly in the temple city due to some pre-monsoon showers, though there is still no sign of any inflow of water in the Swarna at Baje Dam, from where water is supplied to Udupi.

Speaking to presspersons here on Monday, K. Raghavendra, Environment Engineer of Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC), said that there had been no inflow of water in the Swarna near Baje, due to pre-monsoon showers.

But there was a slender inflow of water near the Mundli Dam, upstream Karkala. The water still had to travel all the way from Mundli to Baje (after the dam at Mundli gets filled).

“It would take some continuous rainfall for some days for that to happen,” he said.

But some water had entered the large holes on the bed of the Swarna at Puttige and Mane, near here.

Hence, the CMC was continuing to pump water from these big holes near Puttige to the Baje Dam from where it is supplied to the city.

Supply on Thursday

Water would be supplied alternatively to the two parts of the city on Thursday and Friday.

“We hope that the monsoon will enter the district by then,” he said.

In areas of the city where water was not being supplied through taps, the CMC was sending water tankers. D. Manjunathaiah, CMC Commissioner, said that due to the pre-monsoon showers, the demand for water had eased a bit.

“Earlier about 16 to 18 water tankers used to do about 140 trips to water-scarce areas in the city. But now it is down to about 90 to 100 trips,” he said.