Will not allow a drop from Maharashtra's water share go elsewhere: Devendra Fadnavis

MUMBAI: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today told the Maharashtra Legislative assembly that his government will not spare even a drop of water for Gujarat from the state's share in the Damanganga project.

"We have time and again said that we won't let even a drop from Maharashtra's share go to any other state. In case of Damanganga-Pinjal project we have gone ahead and rectified the mistakes done by the previous government," Fadnavis said while intervening in a debate over the issue during the Question Hour in the Assembly.

NCP member Chagan Bhujbal asked several questions citing technical documents and quoting from the communication between state and union government bodies.

"The state government has not been able to augment over 132 TMC of water storage capacity for over 30 years," he said seeking to know what does the government plan next.

Minister of State for Water Resources Vijay Shivtare said the state government has asked the Centre to take up the project under national mission for interlinking of rivers and also revised the designs of water tunnels so that the state would be able to get all of its 30 TMC water share.

He said capacity of the tunnels on the project has been enhanced.

Even after detailed reply by the MoS, when the Opposition members tried to target the state government over the issue of water that would go to Gujarat, Fadnavis intervened and asked the Opposition to refrain from indulging in politics over the issue and cooperate with the new government and ensure that the state gets each and every drop from its share.