Don't give Koyna water to Karnataka now: Sena MLA urges Mah CM

A Shiv Sena MLA from Satara district has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging him not to release water from Koyna river to Karnataka, saying the stock in Koyna dam is low due to scanty rainfall last year.

Koyna dam is built on the Koyna river, which originates in Satara district. It is the largest tributary of the Krishna river that flows down to Karnataka.

"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," Shambhuraj 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 (to Karnataka) 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.

"If we release water for Karnataka, we may not have it for our people in the coming days. The monsoon season is still more than a month away," the legislator said.

Several parts of Maharashtra, including Patan tehsil, are facing water scarcity and there is a need to save water for people, he said.