BS Yediyurappa meets Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai; duo decides to set up panel for dam management in Karnataka, Maharashtra

Mumbai: Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday met his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai and the two decided to form a high-level committee for better dam management to avoid flood situation in parts of the two states. The decision by the two chief ministers comes in the wake of the devastating floods in parts of Maharashtra and also Karnataka last month. Floods in August ravaged several parts of western Maharashtra, with Kolhapur and Sangli districts bearing the maximum brunt. The Opposition parties in Mumbai had alleged inadequate discharge of water from Almatti dam, located downstream in the southern state, which initially caused inundation in the two districts. The Maharashtra chief minister’s office (CMO) tweeted:

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Karnataka CM Yediyurappa decides to set up a High Level Committee for better dam management to avoid flood situation. pic.twitter.com/IQtvjRy5k9

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) September 3, 2019

Fadnavis and Yediyurappa also decided to oppose Andhra Pradesh’s plea for redistribution of water against the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal’s order in view of the division of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. “It was also decided to jointly oppose Andhra Pradesh’s application for redistribution of water against Krishna water tribunal order in view of Andhra and Telangana division. Both the states took a firm stand that Andhra and Telangana should take water from their allotted share,” the CMO said in another tweet. Yediyurappa was accompanied by his deputy CN Ashwathnarayan and Karnataka home minister Basavaraj Bommai at the meeting held at ‘Varsha’, the official residence of the Maharashtra chief minister. Maharashtra ministers Girish Mahajan and Chandrashekhar Bawankule were also present on the occasion.