Mangaluru: Water rationing for industries likely soon

Mangaluru: The city’s water supply rationing policy is expected to come into effect in the summer to maintain drinking water levels in the Thumbe vented dam.

The City Corporation has already asked the district administration to revise the water supply levels of industries in order to prevent water shortages.

According to current data, the inflow of water filling the dam is expected to stop within a week. The dam currently has six meters of water, which is usually sufficient for the city for the next 90 days.

If it does not rain during the month of May, then it becomes necessary to ration the drinking water to the city.

In January 2016, the city faced a severe water shortage. Water tanker supplied water to the city due to lack of water in the dam. Later water from Lakya Dam was used.

Learning a lesson from this, the Corporation began a system in 2017 where water was supplied for 48 hours followed by a shutdown in supply for the next 36 hours. Water was also cut for industries.

In 2019, as a precautionary measure, the amount of water supplied to industries was cut by half – from 18 mgd to 15 mgd, later reduced to 13 and 10.5 mgd.

Industries were supplied rationed water last year too even though there was no water shortage.

“Drinking water shortage will not be a problem for Mangaluru this year. However, to preserve existing drinking water levels, the district administration has already been requested to reduce the amount of water currently supplied to the industries. Deputy Commissioner will be holding a meeting regarding this soon,” said Mayor Premananda Shetty.

“The first round of talks on implementing water rationing for industries has been held. A discussion has also been held with industries to reduce water use to a minimum. The government will also take action to pay rent to farmers nearby the dam on raising the water level in the dam,” said DC Dr Rajendra KV.