Express News Service By

Maharashtra is ready to release water to Bhima river to solve the drinking water crisis in Gulbarga city, Afzalpur and Jewargi taluks, but it wants the State government to adopt a give-and-take policy in this respect, Union Minister of State for Labour Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Speaking to reporters, Kharge said he has discussed the matter with Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.

Chavan and Pawar said Maharashtra’s Solapur city is facing acute drinking water problem. Karnataka should provide water to Solapur by releasing Krishna water through Narayanpur dam and in reciprocation, Maharashtra would release water to Bhima river.

“Maharashtra government has said that it will release water (to Bhima river) only after it receives Krishna river water from Narayanpur dam,” Kharge stated.

The problem is that Karnataka can release water from Narayanpur dam, but it cannot ensure that it will reach Solapur as the farmers along the way will draw water through pumpsets to their fields, Kharge said. “Still, we will exert pressure on Maharastra to release water to Bhima river,” he said.

Meanwhile, MLC Allamaprabhu Patil has written a letter to CM Siddaramaiah to hold talks with his Maharashtra counterpart and prevail upon him to release water to Bhima river as the people of Gulbarga city, Afzalpur and Jewargi taluks are facing drinking water problem.