Mangaluru: The Port City is already reeling under water scarcity and to add to the gloom, Mangaluru City Corporation Mayor has said that water stored in Thumbe dam is sufficient only for a week!

With the shocker, the Mayor has put all the officials on alert mode to study and assess the possibilities of procuring water from government as well as private wells and borewells across the city.

The ruling and the opposition party alike took MCC Officials to task and questioned as to how the officials who kept claiming that the water level in AMR dam is around 13.9 ft all this while suddenly realised that the water level has dipped beyond precarious level.

They alleged the officials of making casual statements without checking the facts.

However, intervening at this point, the Municipal Commissioner said that Deputy Commissioner was appraised about the water situation during first week of April and then the issue was also brought to the notice of District in-charge Secretary Bharath Lal Meena and District in-Charge Minister B Ramanath Rai. Following a meeting it was decided to supply water to the city once in two days.

Thumbe new dam ready by May end:

Answering a query on the progress of new vented dam at Thumbe, Mayor said that eight gates have been installed and by May end all gates will be up. He said that the height of dam is 7 mts, but water would be collected only til 4 mts as the dam cannot be used to full capacity till required land is not acquired.