Mangaluru (TNN): The city will enter the harshest phase of this summer when its administration begins to ration water supplyfrom March 20 onwards. Starting 6am on Monday, Mangaluru will get water only once every 36 hours, mayor Kavitha Sanil said on Thursday.

However, with the upper reaches of the district that feed the rivers which form the city's drinking water lifeline getting copious summer showers, the decision is likely to be reviewed. "It will be reconsidered if the water levels improve," the mayor said.

Kavitha told media that water level at Thumbe vented dam, city's main drinking water source, dropped to 4.15 metres against its full capacity of 5 metres. "Since inflow to Thumbe and AMR Power Project dam at Shamboor upstream has become non-existent, it becomes all the more prudent for all stakeholders to be judicious in stretching this limited resource. The water at Thumbe is sufficient only for 20 days and that at AMR for another 40-days," Kavitha said.

Commissioner Mohammad Nazeer said following orders issued by the DC K G Jagadeesha, even MRPL and MSEZ have restricted their intake of water from Shamboor - from 15MGD to 10MGD. "Civic body engineers and officials deputed by the DC are monitoring the water level at AMR dam," he said, adding that the city will have to depend on this water if storage level at Thumbe depletes further. AMR Power Project has a storage of 6.05 metres, he said.