Mangaluru, (The Hindu): Drinking water supply to the city from the Thumbe vented dam built across the Netravathi has been disrupted after power to the water pumping station at Thumbe was snapped after a rise in the river water level.

A dedicated 33kV overhead power supply line from the Bantwal power sub-station, between Bantwal and Thumbe, supplies constant power to the station.

The line passes over a stream which joins the river near the dam. The line is about 10m high from the stream.

As water level in the river has been surging, the backwaters in the stream too rose close to the live power line.

As a precaution, the Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd has been disconnecting power on the line now and then during the past three days. Hence, there has been disruption in the power supply to the station. It has resulted in disruption in the supply of water in the city, Mayor Bhaskar K. told presspersons at the Thumbe vented dam on Friday.

The Mayor said if water level in the river (also backwater level) was below 8.5m, regular power supply in the line could be maintained.

The MESCOM officials disconnected power whenever water level rose above 8.5m as a precaution.

Power supply to the station was cut from 3.45 a.m. to 7.10 a.m. on August 15 and from 6.35 p.m. on Thursday to 1.15 a.m. on Friday when water level in the river rose to 8.8m. Mr. Bhaskar said as a precaution at least 1.5-m gap should be maintained between the water level and the power supply line in view of swings.

There has been disruption in power supply for about four to five hours over the past two days, the Mayor said.

Deputy Mayor Mohammed Kunjathbail said a proposal has been mooted to lay an underground dedicated power supply line from the sub-station to the pumping station to avoid such dangers in the future.

Commissioner Mohammed Nazir, Executive Engineer K.S. Linge Gowda and other engineers of the corporation inspected the safety of the station in Thumbe on Friday.