Dredging work begins at Thumbe dam

With the arrival of the dredging machine, work began at the Thumbe vented dam on Tuesday.

Contract for the dredging work has been given to Nelco company of New Delhi, which, in turn, has given the sub-contract to a team led by Asif in Mangaluru.

The dredging machine was placed on a 25-tonne weighing pontoon in the water. With the undertaking of dredging, the storage capacity of Thumbe vented dam is expected to increase. A 125 kv horse power capacity generator has been placed on the banks of River Nethravathi, to supply power to carry out dredging.

The dredging machine can lift 100 cubic metres of sand in an hour. Four acres of land was also identified to dump the extracted silt.

The team is expertise in carrying out dredging and had taken up similar work in Odisha and Kochi. It had also taken up dredging at the port. The dredging operation will begin once the deputy commissioner gives the approval, said an official.

A team led by the assistant commissioner will look into the dredging process.

The dredging will be carried out even during monsoon, which will ensure the availability of sand, said Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil.