BENGALURU,BELAGAVI: A crucial meeting between the Karnataka and Maharashtra governments to exclusively discuss the issue of water sharing between the two states and other issues related to inter-state water disputes is likely to be held in New Delhi soon.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday held separate meetings with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil at his home office ‘Krishna’ in Bengaluru. The Chief Minister’s Office said Pawar’s visit was a courtesy call and they discussed river water sharing and floods.
After the meeting, Pawar tweeted, ‘’On my visit to Bengaluru, I got a call from Karnataka CM Bommai who expressed his wish to meet me. Keeping the respect of his position in mind, I decided to go and pay a courtesy call on him.’’ Without referring either to water issue or floods he said, “I am thankful for his warm hospitality and hoping that the two states would continue to work together with a cooperative vision in the years to come.’’
According to sources, Bommai and Pawar discussed various inter-state issues, mainly sharing of dam and river waters between the two states. The leaders also stressed on the need for greater coordination between authorities on both sides to avoid flooding of rivers and dams along the border during monsoon.
During the meeting with Patil, Bommai discussed several issues to tackle the recurring floods along the border and measures to be taken to coordinate effectively and prevent any calamity. Both leaders also held talks on inter-state projects like Doodhganga and Phase III of the Upper Krishna Project.
Bommai said his government would want to reach an amicable solution with regard to sharing of waters irrigation on priority. Sources said that the meeting, to be held in New Delhi, will be able to help both states to overcome several problems in the implementation of inter-state water projects.