Karnataka to release Almatti water to help Maharashtra

Mumbai: In the backdrop of unprecedented floods in western Maharashtra, Karnataka has agreed to release five lakh cusecs water from Almatti dam to help affected people in Kolhapur and Sangli districts, an official said on Thursday.

The official from the Chief Minister's Office said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday spoke to his Karnataka counterpart B S Yediyurappa, who agreed to release five lakh cusecs water from Almatti dam in Karnataka.

This will help to bring down the water level in the flood-affected areas in western Maharashtra, he said. Fadnavis on Thursday conducted an aerial survey to review the flood situation in Sangli and Kolhapur districts.

He has cancelled his programmes as part of the Maha Janadesh Yatra ahead of Assembly elections. The first phase of the Yatra was to conclude on Friday in Dhule and Nandurbar districts of north Maharashtra but that has been cancelled, the CMO official said.

Altogether 22 rescue teams are working in Kolhapur (NDRF-5, Navy-14, Coast Guard-1, Army column-1, SDRF-1), the official said.

In Sangli, 11 teams have been deployed (NDRF-8, Coast Guard-2, Army-1), he added. Five more NDRF teams reached Pune, of which two teams are on way to Kolhapur and two to Sangli to assist the local administration in floor rescue operations.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke to Fadnavis and assured all help from the Centre to tackle flood situation in Maharashtra, the official said. The Centre is closely monitoring the situation, he added.