Vishwajeet Kadam protesting in the dry Krishna riverbed
Kadam, MLA from Palus-Kadegaon, told the chief minister that the stretch where he was standing once had water levels nearly 40 feet above the riverbed and had witnessed major floods in recent years. “I told the CM that under the chair of minister Vikhe Patil, a meeting of the Canal Advisory Committee is taking place in Sangli on Oct 30 and he should direct the minister and authorities to immediately release water into Krishna flowing into Sangli, which is at the tail-end of the river in Maharashtra. “I didn’t see the drought of 1972, but many think this time could be even worse.
He alleged that water released from Koyna dam into Koyna river, a tributary of Krishna, was being held up in Satara district and not reaching downstream areas in Sangli.
The farmers are struggling to save their crops,” Kadam said. Govt should set up divisional-level war rooms to monitor the situation and convene a special session of the Assembly to address the crisis,” he said. Water sharing between Satara and Sangli has long been a contentious issue. Owing to recurring disputes between politicians from the two districts, state govt shifted the chairmanship of Canal Advisory Committee from the district guardian minister to the water resources minister. Warning of a worsening drought, Kadam urged govt to step up its response.
Kolhapur: Standing in the parched bed of Krishna river at Bhilawadi in Sangli district, Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam on Monday called chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and secured an assurance that water resources minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil would be directed to release water from Koyna dam into the river.