Mangaluru : District minister U T Khader will be meeting chief minister H D Kumaraswamy about the water crisis prevailing in Dakshina Kannada district, especially in Mangaluru city, on Monday.

With water rationing being in force, the water storage in Thumbe Dam can be supplied to the city till June 6-10, said U T Khader. “Dakshina Kannada district is facing a water crisis due to lack of pre-monsoon rain. I have already explained the gravity of the situation in the district to the chief minister. Following this, Kumaraswamy has scheduled a meeting of officials and people’s representatives from Dakshina Kannada district on Monday,” Khader said.

Though water is being pumped to the city from Thumbe Dam, and rationing being in force, the situation will worsen if the district does not receive sufficient rainfall in the days to come. Religious shrines like Sri Kshetra Dharmastala and Ullal Dargah, where hundreds of devotees throng every day, too have been facing a water crisis. Deputy commissioner S Sasikanth Senthil, zilla panchayat CEO R Selvamani, Mangaluru City Corporation commissioner B H Narayanappa and people’s representatives from the district will take part in the meeting, Khader said.

In the meantime, the city corporation has already taken the initiative to supply water using 25 tankers. They have been asked to add 30 more tankers so that water is supplied to all areas where there is scarcity. Meanwhile, public sector and private companies also have agreed to hand over their water tankers to the city corporation. “People should inform the city corporation if any unused open wells are found in the city limits. Such wells will be cleaned and arrangements will be made to supply water to people. While there are 114 borewells in the city, an additional 15 are being drilled,” Khader said.