Mumbai: A Shiv Sena MLA, Shambhuraj Desai, from Satara district has written a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, asking to not release water from Koyna River to Karnataka.
He stated that the water stock in Koyna dam is already low due to scanty rainfall last year.
The CM had earlier this week agreed to the demand of the Karnataka water resources to release water for its dry districts on the condition that Karnataka will also help drought-stressed district of Maharashtra by providing water to them.
“The inadequate showers in 2018 led to the current water stock in Koyna dam go down to 34.89 TMC, which is 4.49 TMC less as compared to 2017,” Mr Desai, Sena MLA from Patan assembly segment of Satara district, wrote in the letter to the chief minister.
“The Maharashtra government has already given water from Koyna dam as per the water distribution treaty. The water stock is also less as compared to last year. Therefore, the state should use the remaining stock judiciously. It should not release more water into Koyna basin for Karnataka,” he added.
Mr Desai also said that several parts of the state including Patan tehsil is facing water scarcity and if water was released to Karnataka, water for the people may not be available so it was important to save water for the people.
