Stop Karnataka from raising height of Almatti dam: Maharashtra to Centre
New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI): Maharashtra government on Monday urged the intervention of the Centre to rein in Karnataka from raising the height of the Almatti dam on the Krishna River, contending that the backwaters of the river would cause flooding in Kolhapur and Sangli districts of the state.
In a memorandum to Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said the Karnataka government's proposal to raise the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of the dam from the present 519.60 metres to 524.256 metres will have serious and irreversible consequences for the flood-prone districts of Sangli and Kolhapur, located in the Krishna River basin.
"Our state has consistently articulated its objections, citing environmental and human impact concerns, and has presented data to support our position," said the memorandum handed over by Vikhe-Patil to the Union minister.
"We seek your kind intervention to terminate the approval of the height raising of Almatti dam," he said.
Members of Parliament, Members of the Maharashtra Assembly and ministers of the state government were present in the meeting with Patil.
They said severe floods occurred in Sangli and Kolhapur districts during 2019 and 2021 due to extremely heavy rainfall and Almatti dam backwaters.
Vikhe-Patil said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already written to the Centre expressing strong reservations regarding the proposed height increase of the dam.
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
