NCP thinks Karnataka, by not releasing Alamatti water, was solely
responsible for the floods in Kolhapur and Sangli
It accuses the Congress of treating Karnataka with kid gloves

KOLHAPUR: Five rivers — Koyana, Warana, Bhogavati, Doodhganga and
Panchganga — that were in unprecedented spate and killed a dozen
people and displaced thousands others and destroyed cane and soybean
crops in thousands of hectares, have also sharpened differences
between the Congress and NCP.

The NCP sought to suggest that its partner in power in the State,
the Congress, was treating Karnataka with kid gloves because it is
in power in that State, though Karnataka was solely responsible for
the floods in Kolhapur and Sangli. The neighbouring State did not
release water from downstream Alamatti reservoir in time and in
required cusecs.

The Deputy Chief Minister and the State NCP leader, R.R. Patil, made
an angry statement in Sangli that Maharashtra would throw its
Krishna water pact with Karnataka in the river.

The accusation that the Congress in Maharashtra is looking after its
political interests in Karnataka at the cost of the life and
livelihood of the people here was too much to ignore for the
Congress.

The State party president, Ms. Prabha Rau questioned the very locus
standi of Mr. Patil. "Who is he to make and declare such a policy
decision?" The Alamatti dam is not responsible for the floods in
Maharashtra, only the nature is responsible for that, she asserted.
At the most the dam in Karnataka is one of the factors, she asserted
at a press conference in Sangli, calling Mr. Patil's statement
`unfortunate.'

"Today's situation does not call for settling political scores but
calls for providing immediate relief to the flood-affected people,"
Mr. Patil reacted in neighbouring Jaisinghpur. He said that he held

Alamatti responsible for the floods on the basis of experts'
opinion.

The NCP president and Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar,
rushed to the rescue of Mr. Patil. He called Ms. Rau senile. "I have
advised Mr. R.R. Patil that such words come out as a result of age
and the aged at home get angry when things do not happen the way
they like but the young should overlook such a view and work," he
said here on Tuesday while touring the flood-hit Shirol taluka of
Kolhapur district.

Sangli and Kolhapur are principal segments of the sugar belt and the
power base of the NCP. All top NCP ministers and leaders are either
camping here or visiting frequently. The Congress leaders are not
lagging behind either. They and scores of their MPs, MLAs and local
bodies' office bearers want to impress upon the people that whatever
rescue and relief they have got is simply due to their efforts.

They corner and direct the government's cash doles of Rs. 1000 per
head to the places and persons of their choice. The workers of
political parties clash in the process.