The water level in the Thumbay dam, which supplies water to the city and nearby regions, is depleting rapidly, posing a threat of water scarcity. Without rainfall in the near future, the Netravati river could dry up by the end of May.
Currently, the water level in the Thumbay vented dam is at five meters, with 4.5 meters deemed usable after accounting for half a meter of silt accumulation. In the AMR power project dam, situated 17 meters above sea level, only four meters will be available for use. If conditions worsen, a supplementary water source could be tapped from the Ruthwik project dam of Greenco company.
Below Uppinangady lies the Saralikatte dam, holding four meters of water currently unused. Once released to Uppinangady, this water will contribute an additional three meters to the reservoir.
While current levels in the Thumbay, AMR, and Saralikatte dams are sufficient, much of the water released into the dry riverbed evaporates or seeps away, necessitating a significant amount to fill the resulting craters.
Considering the circumstances, officials from the Municipal Corporation Corporation (MCC) are contemplating transferring water from the AMR dam to the Thumbay dam imminently, with subsequent utilization of Saralikatte dam water. However, if rainfall remains absent, water rationing may become unavoidable.
