CM's oppn to rise of Almatti dam height sparks row
Vijayapura: CM Devendra Fadnavis' opposition to the proposed increase in height of Almatti dam has reignited tensions between Maharashtra and Karnataka over the Krishna river water.
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It comes even as Karnataka struggles to complete the long-pending Upper Krishna Project Phase-2.
In a letter to Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, Fadnavis objected to raising the dam's height from 519 m to 524 m, claiming it would flood upstream areas of Sangli and Kolhapur in Maharashtra.
However, his objections have been contested after revelations that a high-level expert committee appointed by Maharashtra govt in 2020 had found no basis for such apprehensions.
The seven-member panel, led by irrigation expert and ex-Maharashtra principal secretary Nandakumar Vadnere, had studied flood patterns and the river basin across both states before submitting its findings. The committee's report, submitted to then CM Uddhav Thackeray, concluded the recurring floods in Sangli and Kolhapur were not linked to water storage in Almatti and Hipparagi reservoirs.
Instead, the report blamed "encroachment in the river basin and illegal, unscientific construction of buildings in Sangli and Kolhapur" as primary causes.
Other members of the committee included Sanjay Ghanekar, R R Pawar, Pradeep Purandare, Atul Kapole, N S Khare and Dhairyasheel Pawar.
During their study, the committee members visited locations including Almatti dam and Hipparagi reservoir, where Karnataka officials briefed them on water storage and flood-prevention measures.
Maharashtra's stand marks the first formal objection since the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal delivered its final verdict in 2013, allocating 173 tmcft of Krishna water to Karnataka.
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