Minister for APMC, Haj and Wakfs, and district in-charge S.K. Bellubbi has said that he will speak to Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar to urge Maharashtra government to release water from the Koyna dam to the Alamatti dam.
Earlier farmers had urged the government to ensure that water is released from Koyna dam to Alamatti dam as the reservoir will soon reach the dead storage level.
The farmers said that if water is not released from the Koyna dam, then villages that depend on the Krishna will face acute water shortage.
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Addressing presspersons here on Saturday after participating in the Republic Day celebrations, Mr. Bellubbi said that though the Alamatti had reached the full reservoir level last year the water level has gone down now.
The Minister said that he got to know about the seriousness of the situation when he read news reports about it.
On the demand raised by some leaders of Solapur, Maharashtra, for release of water from the Alamatti dam to Solapur, Mr. Bellubbi said that in the present situation it was impossible to release any water to Solapur.
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Asked whether the government would agree to release some water to Solapur if Maharashtra government releases water from Koyna, the Minister said that serious thought could be given to it.
To an allegation that a good share of Alamatti water was being released to private power generating units when farmers are facing water shortage, Mr. Bellubbi said he would look into the matter.
Sammelan
Earlier, addressing people after hoisting the national flag and receiving the guard of honour, Mr. Bellubbi said that the preparation for the 79th Akhil Bharat Kannada Sahitya Sammelan were on in full swing.
The government has granted Rs. 1 crore for the event and an equal amount would be released soon.
The Minister thanked government employees, various organisations and elected representatives for making monetary contribution for the event.
A large number of schoolchildren presented colourful cultural programmes.