Hopes for Udupi, water crisis to end soon

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, June 2, 2016: Water in the Swarna reaching the Tellar dam near Karkala, there are hopeful signs that the water problem in Udupi may get resolved earlier than expected.

Udupi has been reeling under a severe drinking water crisis for the last one month. Water is being supplied once in three days to the city by the Udupi CMC, City Municipal Council since May 27 and just for a couple of hours. Some areas of the city on a high level are being supplied water by tankers.

Water to both Karkala (about 35 km from here) and Udupi is supplied from the Swarna. Since Karkala is closer to the Western Ghats, it receives water first and it then flows to Udupi.

An officer of the Udupi CMC stated that there was enough water in the Mundli dam near Karkala and hence water from there had been released to the Tellar dam downstream. Tellar dam is about 23 km from Udupi.

“The water level in the Tellar dam increased by four feet by 11 a.m. on  June 1, Wednesday. This is due to the rain in the catchment area of the Swarna in the Western Ghats in the past couple of days,” he said.

According to the officer, the personnel at the Tellar dam are likely to release water once it got filled there. Once it is released, it will take three to five days to get to Udupi provided there are no other obstacles. If it rains enroute, the water will reach here sooner. These are definitely positive and hopeful signs.