‘No water in Netravathi! Visit Dharmasthala after crisis eases’

Mangaluru: With  Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the grip of a severe water crisis this summer, the Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala has requested  pilgrims to temporarily postpone their visit to the temple town.

The Dharmasthala Sri Manjunatha Swami Temple, located in the foothills of the Western Ghats in Belthangady Taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, draws thousands of pilgrims from various parts of the country, including VVIPs and ministers. The number of pilgrims increases  during the weekends and vacations and the temple  provides boarding and lodging to those who need them. This in turn, requires a huge amount of water every day.

But with no inflow into the Netravathi river and the  dam in Dharmasthala drying up fast, the temple town located on the banks of the river Netravathi is facing a water crisis. Seeing no other option the temple dharmadhikari has requested pilgrims to put off their visit to it.

Explaining the reason for his unusual request, the dharmadhikari pointed out that water was being rationed with the inflow into the Netravathi  decreasing every day. “A huge amount of water is needed for the use of pilgrims who come to Dharamsthala. So we request devotees to postpone their visit  by a few days,” he said in his letter.

The temple administration has been taking water conservation measures for years, using only treated water for its plantation and garden near its college campus. Of late, it  has also been advising shopkeepers in Dharmasthala not to waste water by using it to clean their doorsteps in summer.

But despite such measures, the temple town is facing one of its worst water crises this summer. And with water rationing, the people receive their supply only two or three times a week, leaving them short of it for the rest.