Sign pact with Karnataka to avoid 2019-like flood: Fadnavis to Maha CM

PTI, Jun 19, 2020, 7:51 AM IST

Mumbai: BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, June 18 said Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray should sign an agreement with neighboring Karnataka to avoid a repeat of flood in part of the state like it happened in August last year.

In August 2019, Kolhapur, Sangli districts, and some other parts of the state faced unprecedented floods triggered by a huge release of water from dams in western Maharashtra and from the Almatti dam in Karnataka.

Fadnavis said that the Maharashtra chief minister should hold an urgent meeting with the Karnataka chief minister and enter into an agreement over-discharge of water from the Almatti dam located on the border of both the states.”

If water is not released from the Almatti Dam in time, it will cause flooding in border areas of Maharashtra such as Kolhapur and Sangli.

“A pact between the two states would benefit both as it would help in keeping water levels in control,” the former the chief minister said.

The dams in the state already have sizeable water stock. It would be better if the chief minster schedules a meeting with the Karnataka chief minister regarding the same (agreement),” the Leader of Opposition in the assembly said.