Drinking water supply to Mangaluru city from Thumbe vented dam built across the Netravathi has been disrupted due to power cut to the water pumping station at Thumbe in view of floods.
A dedicated 33 Kv overhead power supply line from Bantwal sub-station which passed along the riverside, between Bantwal and Thumbe, supplied power to the station at Thumbe. The line passed over a stream which joined the river near the dam. As water level in the river has been surging the power supply line is just about 1.5 metres above the backwaters in the stream. Hence officials of Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (MESCOM), as a precaution, are cutting power supply on the line by observing the water level, Mangaluru Mayor Bhaskar K. told reporters in Thumbe on Friday.
The power supply line is about 10 metres above the stream. The company resorted to power cut from 6.35 p.m. on Thursday to 1.15 a.m. on Friday when water level reached about 8.8 metres in the stream. If water level is constantly below the danger level of 8.5 metres, MESCOM can ensure regular supply to the station. Since there is variation in the water level in the river depending on the rains in the upstream, frequent power cuts to the station has become inevitable, the Mayor said.
There is about four to five hours of power cut to the pumping station since two days. Hence Mangaluru City Corporation has not been able to supply drinking water as usual. He requested people to cooperate with the civic body till flood water in the river recedes.
Commissioner Mohammed Nazir and other engineers of the corporation inspected the safety of the station in Thumbe on Friday.