The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) on Saturday began dredging the Nethravati riverbed at the Thumbe vented dam to utilise the dead storage even as the water level reached 4.7 ft against the full-level of 13 ft.
Contrary to the predictions of the Meteorological Department, the district did not receive any rain on Saturday and residents as well as the civic authorities are concerned about the bleak future lurking very close.
The dredging is being attempted as per the directions of Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim, who had on Thursday suggested carrying out the operation during non-pumping days.
The present water level is below the intake level of the old 18 MGD pipeline and is hovering close to the minimum intake level of the new 18 MGD pipeline laid under Asian Development Bank-assisted Karnataka Urban Development and Coastal Environmental Management Project (KUDCEMP). At the same time, the Association of Engineers India, Mangaluru chapter, lent its hand to the MCC to address the water crisis by donating 10 fibre water tanks of varying capacity.
These tanks will be utilised along with 28 tanks purchased by the MCC to be laden on pick up vehicles to distribute water to remote and unreachable areas in the city. The Water Supply Contractors Association too has come forward to offer services of 38 pick-up vehicles to ferry the water tanks for free, while the MCC will look after the fuel cost.
A senior MCC official said that the corporation had bought 28 water tanks of 2,000 litres and 3,000 litres capacity.
With the help of the Associations of Engineers and Water Supply Contractors Association, the civic body would supply water for free to residents. Details of the wards where the vehicles would distribute water are prominently displayed on the vehicles, he said.
Once the MCC pumps water from Thube dam on Monday, the water level would dip further, below the intake level of the new 18 MGD pipeline. If the corporation becomes successful in lowering the intake points of the pipeline to the riverbed level, water requirements of about 30 per cent of the city could be met for a few more days.
The remaining demand has to be met through water tankers only, he said.
Contrary to expectations, the water released from Disha power project dam across Kumaradhara, the main tributary of the Nethravati near Kadaba, has not reached the Thumbe dam.
This was due to several large craters created in the riverbed due to indiscriminate mining as well as lifting of water for agricultural purposes.
Published - May 08, 2016 12:00 am IST
