Though there has been rainfall, it has not been enough to withdraw water rationing in Udupi district as yet. Drinking water is supplied to Udupi city from the dam constructed on the Swarna at Baje village about 18 km from here.
Commissioner of Udupi City Municipal Council Anand Kallolikar told The Hindu on Monday that a gate at the dam against the Swarna constructed upstream at Mundli village near Karkala had been opened. “There is a small amount of inflow so far from the Mundli dam and water has reached close to Shiroor village (about 25 km from here). We expect this water to reach Baje dam by Tuesday,” he said. The scattered rainfall has not been enough to lift water rationing imposed on the city about a couple of months ago, Mr. Kallolikar said.
Udupi city has been divided into six zones and water is being supplied to each zone once in six days.
“This rationing of water will continue till the dam is at least half-full. But good rain in the catchment area and Karkala side can change the situation,” he said.
The Swarna takes its birth in the Western Ghats and passes close to Karkala town, where a dam is constructed against it at Mundli (to supply water to Karkala town), and from there, it reaches Shiroor and Baje villages, where there are dams across it to supply water to Udupi city. The river then passes by Manipal, Shimbra and then joins the Arabian Sea.
Team visits Bharatkal
Meanwhile, K. Raghupati Bhat, MLA, and officers from Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) visited Bharatkal village in Kundapur taluk on Monday with regard to the plan to bring water from the Varahi to the Baje dam through pipelines.
Mr. Bhat and the officers inspected the spot for the construction of a water treatment plant at Bharatkal village. They also visited and inspected other spots to see how the pipelines could be laid to supply water from Bharatkal to Baje dam. This plan, when executed, is expected to put an end to water woes during summer.