Mangaluru: Netravathi, the lifeline of the district, has cut off its flow at Uppinangady as the scorching heat continues, the second such situation has occurred in the last four years. There is a fear of water scarcity. Three years ago, the flow of water had been cut off in a similar manner. After the confluence of the Kumaradhara river nearby, netravathi flows again, but before kumaradhara meets, the water of netravati river has dried up.
It is customary for most devotees to immerse the ashes of relatives at the confluence of netravati kumaradhara river and take a holy dip in the river after performing the pinda pranadi ceremony. Due to the drying up of the river, the holy tirtha snan has been disrupted. Though bathing is allowed after the Confluence of Kumaradhara, since the present place is dangerous, temporary arrangements have been made to remove sand from the confluence site and make a pit for the convenience of the devotees. Some parts of the surrounding areas received scattered rainfall but later due to the extreme heat in the atmosphere, all the water bodies started drying up.
