Maharashtra May Move Supreme Court Over Karnataka’s Plan to Raise Almatti Dam Height: CM Fadnavis
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has warned that the state will approach the Supreme Court if Karnataka moves forward with its plan to increase the height of the Almatti Dam on the Krishna River.
The statement comes in response to Karnataka’s decision to implement Phase-3 of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP), which includes raising the height of the Almatti reservoir to enhance water storage and irrigation capacity.
Fadnavis said the Maharashtra government is closely monitoring the developments and will not hesitate to take legal action if the proposed changes are implemented without addressing the concerns of the people in Kolhapur and Sangli districts, which lie downstream of the dam.
“We are not against Karnataka’s development. But if any move causes harm to Maharashtra’s people, especially through flooding in border districts, we will take the matter to the Supreme Court,” Fadnavis said.
Karnataka’s Stand
Karnataka maintains that the plan to raise the dam height is legally supported by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II), which approved the increase up to 524.256 meters. The state government argues that it is within its rights and is awaiting a gazette notification from the central government to proceed.
Maharashtra’s Concerns
Maharashtra fears that a higher water level in the Almatti reservoir will lead to backwater flooding, especially during heavy monsoons, affecting thousands of people and farmlands in western Maharashtra.
The state government has said that without proper environmental and flood impact assessments, and consensus among riparian states, the project should not go forward.
Background
The Almatti Dam, located in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district, is a key component of the Krishna river water-sharing mechanism between Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. The inter-state water dispute has been long-standing, with past interventions from the tribunal and central government.
