A view of water stored in Thumbe vented dam, which supplies water to Mangaluru City.
Credit: DH Photo
Mangaluru, Karnataka: The district administration and the Mangaluru City Corporation have decided to introduce water rationing in the city, as water levels in the city's only water source, the Thumbe reservoir, has fallen, officials have said.
At a meeting held here on May 4, the administration announced that the city will receive water only once in two days for domestic use, as part of the water rationing system.
The administration has also advised citizens not to waste water, and to utilise the water only for necessary domestic purposes. Those found using tap water for watering gardens, washing vehicles, and other such unproductive purposes will be penalised, it warned.
According to the officials, this is the first time in five years that Mangaluru city has faced this situation. The last time was in 2019 when the monsoons were delayed, and the city administration nearly imposed water rationing. Luckily, the heavens opened up in the last week of May, and the restrictive measure was not needed.
But this time, taking stock of the dwindling water levels in the city’s only water source, the Thumbe reservoir, Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan and his officials have quickly taken steps to ensure that the water lasts, and is therefore distributing it with certain restrictions.
"If the Southwest Monsoon arrives in time, the water condition will improve. As of now, we must take steps to stretch our water sources for a longer time, and I appeal to all citizens of Mangaluru City to conserve water and use it only for domestic purposes," he said.
He said the administration is also taking steps to pump the leaked water downstream of the Thumbe reservoir. 'This work will give us a few more days of water, under ‘rationing’ conditions, until the first week of June,' he said.