Drinking water rationing in Mangaluru from May 5
Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) will go for drinking water rationing from May 5, according to the Commissioner of the corporation C.L. Anand.
Water will be supplied on alternate days from Sunday. It is to save water stored in the Thumbe vented dam for supply till the end of Summer, he said in a press release.
Anand said water is supplied to different parts of the city from the Thumbe-Panambur main supply line in addition to water stored in underground reservoirs at Bendoor, Padil, and the overhead tank in Shakthinagara.
There will be no supply of water to buildings under construction and to vehicle washing centers till further orders. Water connection will be disconnected by MCC staff if there are any instances of wastage of water, Anand said.
The water level at Thumbe Dam stood at 4.23 mts on Friday, May 3, against the maximum storage level of six mts.
Earlier, talking to reporters after a meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner M.P. Mullai Muhilan said that though the district is in a comfortable situation in terms of availability of water it was decided to start rationing in Mangaluru City to sustain water supply from Thumbe dam till May end. “During the rationing, steps are being taken to ensure that water reaches the farthest area,” Muhilan said. Apart from the Thumbe vented dam, water is available in the Harkekala and Biliyoor vented dams, he added.
A total of 18 tankers are being used for supplying water in the district of which 11 are operating in Ullal, Kotekar, and Someshwar. Tankers are being used to supply water to some areas in Bajpe, Moodbidri, and Vitla.
Muhilan said that water is not being supplied to industries and for farming. Once in three days, a small quantity of drinking water is being supplied to meet drinking water needs in Mangalore Special Economic Zone. The rural area’s drinking water needs are being met using water from the AMR dam and a few other water storage points.
As there is a forecast of heavy rains this monsoon, Muhilan said that disaster management teams will be formed for every gram panchayat in the rural area and wards in the urban areas. These teams will be in addition to teams of Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited, the Health Department, the Education Department, the Fisheries Department, and the National Highways division of the Public Works Department, he said.