Udupi City Faces Drinking Water Shortage, CMC Initiates Dredging in Baje Dam
Udupi: Udupi town is facing acute drinking water shortage as the Baje reservoir has completely dried up. The Udupi City Municipality on Sunday started dredging near the Baje Dam at Hiriyadka. This move is expected to improve water storage in the Baje dam, the main source of drinking water for Udupi and Manipal
According to Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) Commissioner Anand Kallolikar there is no water in the Baje reservoir. Hence, the water supply has been stopped for two days and dredging in the reservoir has started on May 5.
He said that the deputy commissioner has approved the dredging work which will continue till Monday, May 6.
“If at all the water is collected in the small pond-like structures on the surface of the reservoir, only then water supply can be resumed on Tuesday, May 7. The Udupi CMC was supplying water once in three days. As there is no water, the rationing would now extend for more than three days. The CMC will take a call on water supply after studying the availability of water soon after completing the dredging work on May 6.”
Last year, when the Swarna River had dried, the downpour in the early days of May brought great relief. The water level at the Baje dam on Sunday, May 5 was just 90 cm. This dam’s dead storage level is 1.70 meters and the evaporation of water from the river has put CMC officials on a fast track. The water situation has already worsened and the administration is chalking out plans to draw water from other sources to supply to the residents.
Kallolikar said, “We are only hoping for rain to ease the situation.”Once the water crisis surfaced, the authorities had identified 16 borewells and 10 wells to supply water in addition to water from the Baje reservoir.
Sadly, the water-level in these water bodies is also gradually decreasing. On May 5, CMC took up dredging in Manai, Bandaribettu and Puttige where there is water in the pits along the dried path of Swarna River. The authorities are hopeful of restoring the water supply from May 7.
