Mangaluru/Udupi: The water crisis in the coastal districts has hit a new low with Mangaluru now rationing water to an erratic supply of once every three to four days and the storage of the Baje dam that feeds Udupi city touching zero and the water level in the Thumbe vented dam, the main source of supply for Mangaluru city, falling to 3.85 meters.
Although officials tried to pump water to Udupi city by dredging about 2 kms upstream, at Bhandaribettu, they failed to meet the drinking water needs of the people. Also, despite the Udupi municipality being divided into six zones to supply each of them water once in six days, many houses continue to go without any water as the pressure in the pipes is too low to take it to them.
Officials now fear the situation could worsen in the absence of rain as the water that has been collected through dredging is enough to be pumped into Udupi city for only about a week to ten days.
“The water level in our well is fast decreasing and so we are pumping it with great care. The houses that completely depend on the municipality water are having an even worse time as the private tankers are fleecing them,” said Ms Savithri Bhat a resident of Perampalli.
Considering the seriousness of the situation, the district administration has procured tankers from private owners and is supplying water in about eight of them to the people of Udupi city. Many councillors of the municipality too have begun to voluntarily provide water to their wards.
Meanwhile, officials in Mangaluru city have begun rationing water as well.
Since May 1, water was supplied for four days and stopped for the next two.
But with the water level in the dam falling to 3.85 meters on Monday, water from the dam will now be provided for four days and stopped for the next three.
“ If we ration water this way, the dam's storage could last till June 5 when we expect rain,” said MCC executive engineer, Linge Gowda.
