Expressing concern over industries drawing huge quantity of water from the Netravati resulting in scarcity for drinking purpose, Karavali Karnataka Janabhivriddhi Vedike has urged the government to have an integrated water policy for Dakshina Kannada.
According to the spokesperson of the Karavali Karnataka Janabhivriddhi Vedike Natesh Ullal, the policy should address supply and demand for water and how to manage the demand.
Addressing press persons here on Wednesday Mr. Ullal said that until the policy was ready the government should not permit setting up of industries requiring huge quantity of water in the district.
It should also not promise the existing industries grant of additional quantity of water, he said.
The district administration should initiate a comprehensive study on total availability of water, demand by industries and farming sector, water required for drinking and excess water available in the district. Mr. Ullal said that the government should not allow industries to lift water from the Netravati after November as it would result in short supply of water for drinking purpose. Legal coordinator of the Vedike, Vidya Dinker, said that the government should set up a water gauging station at Shambhoor on the upstream of AMR Power Project’s dam and at Thumbe downstream of the dam.
With this, the actual availability of water at Thumbe and the quantity being lifted by industries would be known as they lifted water from the Netravati between Shambhoor and Thumbe.
They said that the government granting Netravati water to industries without making any assessment of actual water available in the river has resulted in chaos for water in the city this year with people facing water scarcity.
They said that it was a matter of concern that the State government has consented to provide 6.6 crore litres of water per day to the fourth phase expansion of the Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd. It has also agreed to enhance the quantity of water being provided to industries under the Mangalore Special Economic Zone from 5.67 crore litres to 10.22 crore litres a day.
With this being the situation, now the government should answer how it would meet the growing requirement for drinking water in the city, they said.
‘The policy should address supply and demand for water and how to manage the demand’
