Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday wrote to his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde asking him to release water from Warna/Koyna reservoir to Krishna river and from Ujjani reservoir to Bhima river for drinking water needs in his state.
“The north Karnataka districts of Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Kalaburgi, Yadgir and Raichur are facing acute shortage of drinking water due to severe summer since March 2023. The earlier request of Government of Karnataka during this summer season, for release of 3 TMC of water from Warna/Koyna reservoir to Krishna river and 3 TMC of water from Ujjani Reservoir to Bhima River to meet the drinking water needs of human beings and livestock has been considered by the Government of Maharashtra and 1 TMC of water has been released to Krishna river in the first fortnight of May 2023. I hereby convey my sincere thanks to the Government of Maharashtra,” he said in the letter.
“The severe summer situation in the northern districts of Karnataka is still prevailing and the humans and livestock are in need of water for domestic use. The monsoon in north Karnataka region is yet to commence. In view of the above, I request you to direct the concerned authorities to immediately release 2 TMC of water from Warna/Koyna reservoir to Krishna river and 3 TMC of water from Ujjani Reservoir to Bhima river to meet the drinking water needs of both humans and livestock of northern Karnataka,” he wrote.
