Karnataka, Maharashtra to have joint committee on dams

Ratted by the recent floods and devastation, the Maharashtra and Karnataka governments has decided to form a "high-level committee" for dam management and avoid flood situation in the two neighbouring states.

The decision was taken at a meeting between visiting Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya, the state secretariat here.

Earlier, Yediyurappa and Fadnavis met over lunch at the latter's official residence Varsha at Malabar Hill here.

At the meeting, Yediyurappa was accompanied by his Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwathnarayan and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai while Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan and Power Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule were present.

"It was decided to set up a high level committee for better dam management to avoid flood situation," Fadnavis said.

It needs to be mentioned here that the coordinate release from the Almatti Dam was an issue during the floods last month.

Political parties including BJP's ally Shiv Sena and opposition Congress and NCP has blamed the Karnataka government for the flood situation in Sangli, Kolhapur and Satara. More than 100 persons have died in the floods in the two states.

The Karnataka and Maharashtra governments also decided to jointly oppose Andhra Pradesh’s application for redistribution of water against Krishna Water Tribunal order in view of Andhra Pradesh & Telangana division.

Both the states took a firm stand that Andhra & Telangana should take water from their allotted share, he added.