Date:14/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/14/stories/2008081455330400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Maharashtra cautioned on water release

Special Correspondent

Bommai visited flood-hit areas
Centre urged to clear Kalasa-Banduri nala project

Bangalore: C.C. Patil, parliamentary secretary to the Chief Minister, on Wednesday cautioned the Maharashtra Government not to “play with the lives” of the people by releasing water, without any intimation, from the Koyna Reservoir.

Speaking to presspersons here, Mr. Patil said it was the duty of the engineers in the Department of Water Resources, Maharashtra, to inform their Karnataka counterparts before releasing water from the dam.

Mr. Patil, who is from Belgaum district, said he would speak to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on taking up the issue of asking Maharashtra to pay compensation for the losses incurred by the people in the border districts due to the release of excess water from the Koyna Dam.

He said that Minister for Major and Medium Irrigation Basavaraj Bommai, who is Belgaum district in-charge, visited the flood-affected villages and he would inform Mr. Yeddyurappa and Revenue Minister G. Karunakar Reddy to speed up relief works in the area.

Mr. Patil urged the Centre to clear the Kalasa-Banduri nala project for supplying drinking water to Hubli-Dharwad.

Mr. Patil, who has been asked by Mr. Yeddyurappa to coordinate the work of collecting opinion from the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and workers in filling the posts of chairmen of boards and corporations, said that the exercise would be over in a couple of days. Around 500 partymen have requested that they been given the posts, he said.