Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said he was surprised by Maharashtra’s objection to Karnataka’s plan to raise the height of the Almatti dam.
He asked all the Members of Parliament and central ministers from Karnataka to support the state government and help convince the central government to approve the project. Shivakumar said they will also meet the Prime Minister to discuss this issue.
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had written a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on May 9, objecting to the increase in the dam’s height. Fadnavis said this could cause flooding in the Sangli and Kolhapur districts of Maharashtra and asked Karnataka to reconsider the plan. Shivakumar said this sudden objection was a surprise because Maharashtra had not raised any issues about this project before.
He reminded that Maharashtra did not object when the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal gave its decision in 2010. In fact, Maharashtra even supported increasing the dam height at that time.
According to the tribunal, Karnataka is allowed to raise the dam height from 519 meters to 524 meters.
Shivakumar appealed to all central ministers and MPs to protect Karnataka’s interests. He said the project is Karnataka’s right, as decided by the tribunal.
He also said their Chief Minister will respond to Maharashtra’s letter by Tuesday. Union Minister V Somanna, who is part of the Jal Shakti ministry, is involved in this matter. Shivakumar stressed that the Almatti project is important for Karnataka but they do not want any conflict with Maharashtra.
The project is getting more expensive due to delays, and Karnataka will need around Rs 1 lakh crore for land acquisition.
Shivakumar said Karnataka has been waiting for a government notification since 2013 to raise the dam height and asked how much longer they have to wait. He said Karnataka will share Maharashtra’s letter and their reply with all MPs.
