Mangaluru : Unhappy with Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim lifting the ban on industries drawing water from the Netravathi, Mayor Harinath said on Thursday that the decision has pained him as normality in drinking water supply in the city has not been restored yet.
The Mayor said that being the first citizen of Mangaluru he has not been consulted on this and that he was not aware of the decision. Mr. Harinath alleged that the Deputy Commissioner has taken a unilateral decision during a time of crisis.
The Mayor said that only the Deputy Commissioner should answer how water could be supplied to the people if the catchment areas of the Netravathi did not receive rain before June 10.
“May be, he (Deputy Commissioner) will take the responsibility and give water to the people,” the Mayor remarked.
The Mayor said that only the councillors and officials of the corporation knew how much they struggled and have been struggling to supply drinking water to the people as the water-level at the Thumbe dam had depleted beyond 4 ft.
He said that if industries were allowed to draw water from the AMR Power Pvt. Ltd. dam at Shambhoor, inflow into the Thumbe dam would stop.
The corporation is now not in a position to supply 2 MGD of water from the Thumbe to Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd (MCF).
“There is not enough water, then how will we supply?” the Mayor remarked.
A corporation official said that the civic body was pumping water continuously to the city since 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday.