The water-starved Manasagangotri campus in Mysuru is expected to get Cauvery water, as the University of Mysore (UoM) is bearing the expenditure, that runs into a few crores of rupees, to make this happen. The campus faces a scarcity during summer and relies on water tankers for cater to the needs of hostels, departments and other facilities.
With a new project of drawing water from the KRS backwaters under way, the university has entered into a kind of agreement with the authorities concerned to lay a separate pipeline to the campus. Once the project becomes a reality, Manasagangotri campus will get about 2 mld of Cauvery water daily.
Vice-chancellor G. Hemantha Kumar told The Hindu that the campus is dependent on 17 borewells for water supply to the campus, and also to the quarters adjoining the campus. Of these only eight borewells are yielding water now, and water becomes scarce during summer.
“To make up for the shortfall, water was sourced through tankers daily. The drinking water scarcity may become a thing of the past if supply of Cauvery water from the backwaters is established to the campus,” he said.
The VC said the university has deposited a sum of ₹1 crore towards the cost of the pipe, and may have to spend a few more crores for getting the water once the project is completed. “The investment is permanent since the university can save the cost incurred on supply through tankers,” he argued.
Solar power
The Manasagangotri campus is becoming eco-friendly as the university has proposed installing rooftop solar power systems in all departments as a long-term measure to reduce dependence on conventional power and thereby save on the monthly power bills.
As of now, the university spends about Rs 4 crore on the electricity bills annually. It could save on the costs and also get revenue from the surplus power sold to the electricity supply corporation.
“The university needs ₹40 lakh for the equipment required to harness solar power in each department. We used to get subsidies earlier, but now that facility is not available. With available resources, we need to spend on the systems. We are trying to get a grant from the Karnataka Government,” he said.
The Departments of Computer Science and Library Sciences will soon get solar power as the systems are in place. The Department of Physics is fully powered by solar energy.
Plans are afoot to get Crawford Hall, the iconic building of the University of Mysore, powered by solar energy, and harnessing energy from its rooftop to light up offices located inside its premises.
The vice-chancellor said the Manasagangotri camps has around 400 streetlights running on solar power.
Harnessing solar energy is part of the university’s larger plan of turning its campus into a ‘green zone’ with eco-friendly initiatives, including the promotion of renewable energies, for reducing dependence on conventional energies.
