Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, May 20: The district administration has decided to undertake dredging operation at Baje dam. With this, a long-pending demand of the citizens of the city would be met and once dredging is completed, the water shortage of the city is expected to be addressed as it improves the storage capacity of the said dam.

The tender amount is Rs 5.24 crore. The tender period is of six months period and the work will continue during the rainy season, officials said.

The dredging work from Baje dam to Mani bridge is estimated to cost Rs 2.9 crore. Desilting operation from Mani bridge for a distance of seven km has been estimated to cost Rs 2.34 crore.

The dredging operation here had been pending since long, and the city municipality had not shown the will power to undertake the operation to address the serious water shortage the city suffers from every summer. This time however, the water problem has become so grave that the municipality has been forced to act.

As per an estimate, thousands of loads of silt has been accumulated at Baje dam to a height of over ten feet. The dredging operation would be conducted on the lines of similar operation undertaken earlier at Thumbe dam supplying water to Mangaluru city, officials said.