Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jan 10: "Currently, there is water storage of six meters in Thumbay vented dam. In addition AMR dam has 14.25 million cubic meters of water. Water in these two dams can satiate 150 days water requirement of the city. Therefore this year there will not be any water shortage during summer months," opined city mayor, Bhaskar K.

He was speaking after performing Ganga Puja and offering customary Bagina to River Netravati along with people's representatives and officials near the Thumbay vented dam on Wednesday January 9. He said that the water level in Thumbay dam can cater to 50 days water requirement while that of AMR dam can meet 100 days drinking water requirement. "The deputy commissioner has issued instructions to store maximum level water in AMR dam. Currently, inflow of water in River Netravati stands at 20 cubic meters per second. Based on these, we can safely assume that summer months will not witness water shortage this year," mayor clarified.

At the same time, the mayor requested people to use water judiciously and never to waste it.

Former minister, B Ramanath Rai, said that the dam is receiving good inflow of water and there is provision to store an additional meter of water over and above the current level. He said that arrangement has been made to provide water from here also to Kallige village.

MLC, Ivan D'Souza, expressed the view that it would be advisable to improve infrastructure at Thumbay dam and arrange to increase the storage capacity of the dam instead of installing desalination plant near the sea to meet water requirement.

Chief whip of the city corporation, Shashidhar Hegde, leader of the opposition, Premananda Shetty, city corporation commissioner, Mohamed Nazeer, standing committee chairpersons, Naveen D'Souza, Praveen Chandra Alva, Prakash Chandra Shetty, Lata Salian and others were present.