<p class="bodytext">Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy chaired a meeting in Bengaluru on Friday to discuss the water crisis in Dakshina Kannada and, in particular, in Dharmasthala.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Following the acute water crisis in Dharmasthala, Dr R Selvamani, Zilla Panchayat chief executive officer, had visited the place recently, on the directions of the chief minister. According to sources, Selvamani has said that Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade had proposed the construction of two vented dams in order to mitigate the water crisis. Officers at the Minor Irrigation Department have submitted a proposal to construct a vented dam across Neriyahole and across River Nethravathi in Dharmasthala at an estimated cost of Rs 7 crore.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The chief minister directed the officials to approve the proposal and initiate measures to construct vented dams immediately.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">Increase height</p>.<p class="bodytext">With regard to the water crisis in Mangaluru, District In-charge Minister U T Khader stressed on the need to impound water up to a height of seven metres in the Thumbe dam.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At present, water is impounded up to a height a six metres. An amount of Rs 130 crore is needed to compensate farmers owning 344 acres of land that will be submerged when the dam is raised to a height of seven metres, he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The chief minister reportedly directed the minister to submit a proposal immediately.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He also directed Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil to study the pros and cons of setting up a desalination unit in Thannirbavi beach by MRPL and submit a report. He favoured the rehabilitation of families residing in 150 houses affected by sea erosion in Ullal on the lines of Kodagu model.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Khader had informed that boulders worth crores of rupees are dumped every year to check sea erosion. The boulders, however, were no match and were washed away by the waves.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy chaired a meeting in Bengaluru on Friday to discuss the water crisis in Dakshina Kannada and, in particular, in Dharmasthala.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Following the acute water crisis in Dharmasthala, Dr R Selvamani, Zilla Panchayat chief executive officer, had visited the place recently, on the directions of the chief minister. According to sources, Selvamani has said that Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade had proposed the construction of two vented dams in order to mitigate the water crisis. Officers at the Minor Irrigation Department have submitted a proposal to construct a vented dam across Neriyahole and across River Nethravathi in Dharmasthala at an estimated cost of Rs 7 crore.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The chief minister directed the officials to approve the proposal and initiate measures to construct vented dams immediately.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">Increase height</p>.<p class="bodytext">With regard to the water crisis in Mangaluru, District In-charge Minister U T Khader stressed on the need to impound water up to a height of seven metres in the Thumbe dam.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At present, water is impounded up to a height a six metres. An amount of Rs 130 crore is needed to compensate farmers owning 344 acres of land that will be submerged when the dam is raised to a height of seven metres, he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The chief minister reportedly directed the minister to submit a proposal immediately.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He also directed Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil to study the pros and cons of setting up a desalination unit in Thannirbavi beach by MRPL and submit a report. He favoured the rehabilitation of families residing in 150 houses affected by sea erosion in Ullal on the lines of Kodagu model.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Khader had informed that boulders worth crores of rupees are dumped every year to check sea erosion. The boulders, however, were no match and were washed away by the waves.</p>