Karnataka increases water discharge from Almatti dam
Mumbai: Karnataka has so far discharged 4.50 lakh cusecs water from the Almatti dam, a move which is expected to ease flood situation in Kolhapur and Sangli districts of Maharashtra.
An official in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) here said at present the discharge from the dam on the Krishna river in Bijapur district of neighbouring Karnataka was 4,50,000 cusecs (cubic foot per second).
The discharge from the dam was 4,30,352 cusecs at 10 am on Friday which was later raised to 4,50,000, he said.
The official said by Friday evening, the discharge would be 5 lakh cusecs as demanded by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from his Karnataka counterpart B S Yediyurappa.
Fadnavis had said on Thursday that he had requested his Karnataka counterpart to discharge 5 lakh cusecs, a demand which he has agreed to.
The CM had said discharge from the Almatti dam will result in drop in water level in Kolhapur and Sangli district in western Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Fadnavis on Friday briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the flood situation in the state.
A statement from the CMO said the Prime Minister took detailed information on the situation, rescue and relief measures and assured all assistance from the Centre.
An Indian Air Force helicopter has landed in Sangli, where it will be deployed to distribute relief material, the statement said. A total of 34 teams are working in Kolhapur and 36 in Sangli. These include teams of the NDRF, Navy, Coast Guard and SDRF, it added.
Besides Sangli and Kolhapur, Satara, Pune and Solapur districts are also reeling under floods.
As of Thursday, over two lakh people have been evacuated to safer places in these five flood-affected districts.
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Congress’ downfall will start from Baramati if it doesn’t let Sunetra Pawar win unopposed: Bawankule
Nagpur (PTI): The Congress will have to face consequences if it doesn't allow NCP president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar to win the Baramati assembly bypoll unopposed, said minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday.
The party’s “downfall” will start from Baramati, he said, stressing that the people of Baramati and Maharashtra wish that she is elected unopposed, said the BJP leader.
The April 23 bye election was necessitated after the tragic death of deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who headed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28. After his death, his wife Sunetra became the party president.
The NCP, BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are partners in the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state.
“The Congress will face consequences if it doesn’t let Sunetra win unopposed from Baramati. Its downfall will start from Baramati if it doesn’t withdraw its candidate,” Bawankule told reporters in Nagpur.
Amid efforts to ensure an unopposed contest, the Congress has fielded advocate Akash More for the bypoll.
The party had said that it would withdraw from the contest only if an FIR were registered in Ajit Pawar’s death in the Baramati plane crash.
Replying to another question, Bawankule said the BJP’s performance will be more robust in Assam and Kerala elections compared to the last assembly polls in these states. Assembly polls are being held in a single phase in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry on Thursday.
“These elections will once again show Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership commanding support among the people,” he said.
