BELAGAVI
The assurance was given by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis, who met a state BJP delegation in Mumbai recently.
Addressing a news conference here, Rajya Sabha MP Dr Prabhakar Kore said a delegation led by him comprising BJP state president Pralhad Joshi, MLAs Laxman Savadi, Duryodhan Aihole, Shashikala Jolley, Raju Kage, MP P C Gadigoudar and BJP leader Annasaheb Jolley apprised the Maharashtra chief minister about the drought-like situation in the districts of Belagavi, Bagalkot and Dharwad.
“Several villages along the Banks of the river Krishna in these three districts are already facing acute drinking water shortage. With the Kalsa-Bhandura issue pending, the water storage in the Naveelteerth water reservoir in Malaprabha river too is depleting.”
“Plight of both, farmers and cattle is miserable and they were undergoing forced-migration, leaving the aged and physically disabled to survive on their own. Looking at the crisis, Chief Minister Fadnavis was considerate and has assured to help the people of north Karnataka on humanitarian ground,” Dr Kore said.
In February this year, Karnataka had officially asked Maharashtra to release 2 TMC ft of water to Krishna river and promised to return the same quantity of water to Maharashtra from the Almatti Reservoir. Maharashtra has agreed to the proposal.
Meanwhile, with BJP set to form the government in Goa, the BJP leaders in north Karnataka were tight lipped about the Kalsa-Bhandura water diversion issue. “The matter would be taken up with the the new Goa chief minister soon,” state BJP president Prahlad Joshi told a section of media.
