Maharashtra’s Almatti flood claim baseless, rejected by court and tribunal: Minister MB Patil | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: Industries minister MB Patil Friday dismissed Maharashtra’s recent claims that increasing the height of Almatti dam to 524 metres would lead to floods in Sangli and Kolhapur, calling the argument politically motivated and long settled by courts and water tribunals.Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in a letter to Siddaramaiah, his Karnataka counterpart, on May 9, had raised objection to increasing the height of the dam, claiming flooding fears.But Patil, who previously served as water resources minister, said: “Sangli and surrounding areas in Maharashtra witnessed severe floods in 1964, 1976, 1994 and 1997 — all before the construction of Almatti dam. Moreover, as early as 2000, the Supreme Court had ruled that Karnataka is entitled to raise the height of the dam to 524 metres.”He said Maharashtra had objected again in 2005 before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal, which also rejected their claims. “The Tribunal, in its detailed reports of 2010 and 2013, clearly stated that the Almatti dam was not responsible for floods in Sangli and Kolhapur,” Patil said. “It even considered the impact of the Hipparagi dam in this context but found no basis for Maharashtra’s claim. No state has challenged the verdict of the second Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal constituted to examine such matters.”He also recalled that erstwhile unified Andhra Pradesh had opposed the height increase, citing fears of reduced water share, but those concerns too were dismissed. “Maharashtra’s current objection is politically motivated. Having served as water resources minister for five years, I have complete clarity on the issue,” he said. Patil alleged that unregulated encroachment in the catchment areas of Sangli was a more plausible reason for frequent flooding. “I have a report on the matter. The Maharashtra govt should focus on resolving such issues rather than obstructing Karnataka’s development initiatives,” he said.Patil said he would hand over all relevant documents to current water resources minister DK Shivakumar and asserted that Karnataka would respond firmly. “Our state will give a befitting reply to Maharashtra’s objections,” he said.
