Mangaluru to get 2 MGD water from Lakya dam till May 31

Mangaluru, May 12: Amidst worsening water crisis in the coastal city, the Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner AB Ibrahim has directed Mangaluru City Corporation authorities to make full use of 2 MGD water that KIOCL Ltd draws from its Lakya Dam explicitly for drinking water purposes till May end.

Endorsing administration's stand, Kudremukh Iron Ore Company (KIOCL) Ltd in a communique said in view of ongoing drinking water crisis in MCC limits, Ibrahim has directed KIOCL Ltd to allow to utilize 2 MGD of water that KIOCL is getting from the Lakya dam in Kudremukh.

Utilizing the water of the Lakya dam for drinking purpose is a government decision and the KIOCL is only facilitating its pipeline for this purpose. The KIOCL will abide by all directions of the government to mitigate the crisis.

The DC in the order stated that this move to use full quantum of water (2MGD) that KIOCL Ltd draws from the Lakya dam will be valid upto May 31 and will be specifically to meet drinking water needs of the nearly 5 lakh people in the city and around 1 lakh people in towns of Mulki and Ullal.

"The MCC should make necessary arrangements to utilize this (Lakya dam) water at its cost and cannot claim this as a matter of right (in future) and depends on case before the SC," he said.

Lakhya Dam, located in the Kudremukh National Park area, was built across a stream by KIOCL to store ore sediments. After the KIOCL stopped its operations in Kudremukh, following the orders of the Supreme Court, the KIOCL obtained permission from the Supreme Court to use 2 MGD water a day for its unit in Mangaluru. The pipeline that used to transport iron ore now brings water through gravitational force.

Ibrahim said that the sources of water have dried in the district and the water-level in Thumbe vented dam has reached 4 feet. The water-level is reaching the dead-storage level and the authorities would find it difficult to supply water to the citizens.

Water to MCF

The deputy commissioner directed the Corporation to make an arrangement to supply water to Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers, as it is the only urea-producing firm in the state.

“The shutdown of the MCF will hit the supply of urea in the state. In a letter to the district administration, MCF has said that urea production has been stopped from May 7 due to non-supply of water to the MCF, in view of depletion of water-level in Thumbe vented dam,” said Ibrahim. Mayor Harinath and Deputy Mayor Sumitra were present on the occasion.