Maharashtra releases water to Karnataka to ease water woes

BENGALURU: For the second time in nearly one month, the Maharashtra government has released 2.65 TMC water from Koyna Dam to drought-hit Karnataka to ease the state's water woes, Water Resources Minister M B Patil said today.

"This is the for the second time in nearly one month that the Maharashtra government has released 2.65 TMC water from Koyna Dam," he told PTI here.

Patil said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had agreed to release the water following an appeal by Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar.

The Maharashtra government had released 2.65 TMC water from Koyna dam earlier on April 13.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had appealed to Ananth Kumar to make a request to the Maharashtra chief minister on the issue.

Earlier, the Maharashtra government had released water at Patil's request after he had brought to its notice the severe drought prevailing in Karnataka for the past three years.

"Only 20 per cent water is left in nine of the 12 dams in Karnataka. The available live storage of water in the reservoirs has touched an all-time low," Patil said.

"The Karnataka minister called me and requested to release water from Koyna dam," Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan said.