CM allays Maha's fears over water release from dams

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Thursday that “the same quantum of water being received from Maharashtra was being released from Almatti and Narayanpur reservoirs.” He disapproved reports which raised fears of a flood situation in Maharashtra due to water stored in these reservoirs.

Yediyurappa told reporters at Chikkodi town in the district that Sangli and Solapur are 240 km from Almatti dam and Maharashtra need not have any apprehension about the water stored. The storage in Almatti stands at 85 tmcft as against the full capacity of 123 tmcft, while that of Narayanpur was 18 tmcft against a capacity of 33 tmcft.

“I have spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and clarified over the misleading reports,” he informed.

“Our water storage and release will only affect our own people and not affect Maharashtra in any manner,” he said.

He said rescue operations were being done on a war footing. Yediyurappa said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had taken note of the floods in the state.

“We will make efforts to rescue all the flood-affected people and there is no shortage of equipment or funds to tackle flood situation,” the chief minister said.

Yediyurappa called upon philanthropists, donors to come forward to contribute their bit as there was a need to reconstruct 30,000 houses and Rs 5,000 crore was needed for rehabilitation works.

The assurance came during chief minister’s visit to a relief centre at Sankeshwar town in Hukkeri taluk, where hundreds of families have been displaced by floods in River Hiranyakeshi.

The chief minister visited the flood affected taluks of Belagavi, Hukkeri, Chikkodi, Nippani and personally took stock of the flood situation.