a day ago
Maha CM's objection to Almatti Dam height, politically motivated: Bommai
Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Basavaraj Bommai has said that the objection raised by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra regarding the height of the Almatti Reservoir is illogical and politically motivated.
In a press release issued in this regard, he said the Almatti Dam, constructed under the Upper Krishna Project, is a vital water storage and distribution grid in the Krishna River basin. It is the lifeline of North Karnataka. The height of Almatti was included in the original Krishna River basin project plan of Karnataka and approved by the Central Government. As per that, the original height was set at 524.25 meters. However, after objections were raised by Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, the Supreme Court permitted Karnataka to use the water at a restricted height of 519.6 meters under KWDT-1 (Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-1).
Furthermore, the KWDT-2 (Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-2) has awarded Karnataka a share of 173 TMC of water, which can be utilized at the height between 519 to 524 meters, as per the final tribunal order.
The MP said the tribunal, after conducting an independent hydrological study, confirmed that raising the height to 524 meters would not cause submergence in any part of Maharashtra, including Kolhapur and Sangli. Maharashtra has not legally challenged this verdict. In fact, it was Maharashtra that approached the Supreme Court even before Karnataka, demanding notification of the KWDT-2 award.
Additionally, during the 2005 floods, the then Central Water Commission had clarified that the floods were not caused by the backwaters of Almatti. It is also noteworthy that Kolhapur and Sangli in Maharashtra experienced floods even in the 1960s and 70s, long before the construction of the Almatti Dam.
Bommai said after all these processes and decisions, it is unreasonable for the Maharashtra CM to raise this issue again. It appears that this stance has been taken due to political pressure from two districts of Maharashtra.
Therefore, the Karnataka government must present the complete facts to the Centre. Moreover, the state must expedite the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) works. Failing to do so may jeopardise Karnataka's rightful claim to 173 TMC of water. The state government must act without politicizing the issue. Additionally, the central government must examine all the developments and rulings in this matter and protect Karnataka's interests, he noted.
