Water rationing for residents of Mangaluru or Udupi during summer was unheard of a few years ago. Similarly, the managements of industrial units did not need to shut down operations for want of water up until some years ago. Now, both of these are a bitter reality in the urban areas of coastal Karnataka.

In the face of water scarcity, the urban local bodies in most of the coastal towns have enforced water rationing. The industrial units are planning their maintenance shutdowns during the summer months.

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has planned its maintenance shutdown of phase-3 units from April 15.

M Venkatesh, Director (Refinery) of MRPL, states that maintenance shutdowns are planned months in advance.

However, the company had received a letter from the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district asking it to plan the maintenance shutdown during the summer months.

Similarly, Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers (MCF) Ltd, a subsidiary of Zuari Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd, undertook the annual maintenance shutdown of its urea-manufacturing unit in Mangaluru on March 3. Its plant requires around 2 MGD of water.