Severe water crisis awaits Mangaluru as Thumbe dam has water only for 18 days

[email protected] (CD Network | Suresh Vamanjoor)
April 24, 2016

Mangaluru: Apr 23: Any further delay in pre-monsoon rains in coastal Karnataka will surely push Mangaluru into deep water crisis as water at Thumbe vented dam, on which the city is dependent, will last only for next 18 days.

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The Thumbe dam, which had enough water during the same time last year, is now facing severe shortage of water and its level is decreasing with every passing day.

On Saturday, when Mangaluru Mayor Harinath, along with other corporators, officials and representatives of industries visited the 13-foot high vented dam, the level of water storage stood at 7.9 feet with inflow of water reaching zero-level.

Speaking to media persons, the mayor called upon the citizens of Mangaluru to use water judiciously. He said that water storage at the Thumbe vented dam was enough for only 18 days' supply. “The water from AMR Hydro Power Project dam will be sufficient for an additional four to five days. The MCC has already initiated measures to supply water to the citizens on alternate days,” the mayor assured.

He said that farmers will be persuaded not to use the pump sets upstream. “A team, led by executive engineer Linge Gowda, has been constituted, and a drive will be started to check the use of pump sets. The team will ensure that water is not wasted. The Corporation has already stopped supplying water to construction sites. Water should not be sprinkled on the road to check dust,” he insisted.

The Mayor said that if there was any problem of shortage of water or case of water being wasted, then the public can contact the executive engineers, assistant executive engineers and junior engineers.

Speaking of supply of water, he said that the number of tankers to supply water to the areas that fail to get water has been increased from three to seven. The houses situated on narrow roads will get water in tankers mounted on three pick-up vehicles. Measures will be taken to supply water through tankers at the areas situated at elevated places, he assured.

“There was deficit in rainfall in Dakshina Kannada in 2015. Its impact is being felt this year. The district normally receives pre monsoon showers in April. This year, however, pre-monsoon shower too has failed. Last year, with the pre-monsoon shower, the water-level at the dam was overflowing on April 25. The water-level at Thumbe vented dam declines by three inches if the water is pumped once to supply to the citizens of Mangaluru,” Harinath explained.

The Mayor said that the MCC has initiated measures to drill six borewells in the areas where there is acute shortage of water. Two borewells have been completed at Vamanjoor and Pacchanady. “If the situation aggravates, then water will be drawn from all private borewells and other water sources within the city limits to supply it to the citizens of Mangaluru. The supply to industries will be stopped fully. In case of necessity, the district administration will be asked to make arrangements to release water from the dams situated at Subramanya, Hosmat and other places,” Mayor said.

The MCC supplies 2 MGD water to gram panchayats that are situated between Thumbe and Padil. The MCC is planning to purify the water to hand it over to the gram panchayats to take over the maintenance of water supply to Adyar, Pudu and Thumbe Gram Panchayats. 

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Comments

Abdul Vadood
 - 
Sunday, 24 Apr 2016

ONLY ALLAH CAN SAVE US.

NOOR
 - 
Sunday, 24 Apr 2016

Only ALLAH can save us from drought...
Dear Muslims....
I suggest to ask your local masjids to pray for rain...
ASK with ALLAH alone and never give any attributes to his CREATION.
ALLAH is the owner of this earth & ask with ALLAH as per the teachings of Prophet Muhammad pbuh... ALLAH is able to do all things. if he says BE and it will be... Dont look at the situation... Lets trust and ask with ALLAH in Full TRUST.

As QURAN says : It is ALLAH who sends the winds which stir up clouds which He spreads about the sky however He wills. He forms them into dark clumps and YOU see the rain come pouring out from the middle of them. When He makes it fall on those of His servants He wills, they rejoice. - QURAN 30:48
Lets PONDER on What QURAN speaks and THINK deeply about OUR CREATOR who sustains us by giving life on EARTH with his rainfall.
Subhanallah... Praise be to ALLAH.

Mohan P
 - 
Sunday, 24 Apr 2016

here mangaloreans dont have water and congress want to finish yethinahole protect. if this succeed forget about the rain in coastal karnataka,

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News Network
June 2,2020

Udupi, June 2: The number of positive cases may continue to be more in Udupi district since the results of more than 3,000 samples are pending with Labs.

The district total cases to 260. The figure had seemed far-fetched on May 15, when the number of cases stood at just three. The latest spike has been attributed to the return of migrants from other States as well as from abroad. These samples are from people who returned to the district in the last two weeks.

This delay is because the laboratories testing samples from Udupi are burdened with a high case-load after more than 8,500 people returned to the district, particularly from the neighbouring state of Maharashtra.

"Samples have piled up after the influx of people returning from other states and from abroad," says Dr Prashant Bhat, nodal officer for COVID-19 in Udupi. This delay has caused returnees in institutional quarantine to stay on for as long as 18 days.

The designated laboratory for coronavirus testing in Udupi is Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru. The district administration also sends samples to laboratories at the Kasturba Hospital in Manipal, Yenepoya Medical College, Mangaluru, KS Hegde Medical Academy, Mangaluru, and Viral Diagnostic Laboratory in Shivamogga. Apart from Udupi, the laboratory in Manipal is also testing samples from Uttara Kannada district. The laboratory in Shivamogga is also testing samples from Shivamogga and Bijapur districts. The laboratories in Mangaluru, similarly, have samples from Dakshina Kannada district.

Dr Avinash Shetty, Medical Superintendent of Kasturba Hospital in Manipal, one of the private laboratories being used by the Udupi district administration, said that they are testing samples in batches. "We received around 600 samples today and we will be testing them now. The backlog of samples should be cleared in the next few days," Dr Avinash said.

All 73 cases reported in Udupi on Monday were patients with travel history of returning from Maharashtra or patients with travel history of returning from abroad.

In cases of some patients who tested coronavirus positive in the past week, people were released from institutional quarantine after a stipulated period only to be tracked down again and admitted in hospitals after their results returned positive.

While two such cases emerged in Belapu and Belman in the district, the administration is now following up with others who were released from institutional quarantine to ensure they remain in home quarantine till their test results are confirmed.

The spike in cases among returning migrants in Udupi also comes at a time the Karnataka government reduced restrictions on interstate travel.

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News Network
January 1,2020

Mangalore, Jan 1: Under the aegis of the Dakshina Kannada District Jatyateeya Paksha Sanghatanegala Janti Vedik, Members of Congress, Communist Party of India, CPI (M), Janata Dal (Secular) and other secular organisations will stage a dharna on January 2 here demanding a judicial inquiry into the firing on December 19.

Talking to reporters on Tuesday evening, former Bantwal MLA B Ramanath Rai said the dharna will be held before the statue of B R Ambedkar, near the Town hall, from 1000 hrs to 1600 hrs.

Mr Rai said allegations are being made that the trouble in the city on December 19 was orchestrated by certain political parties and leaders. The city police are also being accused of acting under the influence of the ruling government in invoking prohibitory orders to quell the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and later firing at the protesters that led to two deaths.

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News Network
March 26,2020

Mangaluru, Mar 26: The district Wenlock hospital in

the city will be turned into a dedicated hospital for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, Dakshina Kannada district-in- charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said on Thursday.

Addressing reporters here, he said the 250-bed super speciality wing at Wenlock would be converted to a dedicated hospital to treat coronavirus patients in view of the prevailing situation.

The 20-bed Ayush block will be used for the treatment of suspected cases.

The patients currently being treated for various other ailments at the hospital will be shifted to private hospitals within three days.

The expenses for their treatment will be borne by the government, he said.

The 705 beds available at the hospital wards will be used for coronavirus cases in a phased manner.

The patients visiting the outpatient ward will be directed to go to nearby medical colleges for treatment, he said.

A total of 140 children being treated at the regional advanced paediatric care centre at the hospital will be shifted to nearby medical college hospitals.

The centre will also be used for covid-19 treatment.

Poojary said at present five COVID-19 patients and 140 suspected cases are being treated at the Wenlock hospital.

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