BIJAPUR: The Bhima Neeru Rakshana Raithavarga Samiti has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene in minimising people's sufferings on account of floods. In a letter sent to him, a copy which was released to the press here on Wednesday, president of the samiti Panchappa Kalburgi said people along the Krishna and the Bhima affected by the floods had been left in lurch and the situation warranted intervention from the Centre.

He said people along the rivers had been put to severe hardship following the unprecedented floods in the last two years. Besides damaging houses and standing crops, the floods claimed a large number of lives.

Mr. Kalburgi said it was obvious that Maharashtra's unscientific storage of water in its reservoirs had caused floods. It had now come to light that Maharashtra had constructed several reservoirs without obtaining permission from competent authorities. It impounded water to the optimum capacity of the reservoirs in June and July ignoring the well-established practice that the reservoirs, particularly those in heavy rainfall zone should not be filled above 50 per cent of their capacity till the first half of August. However, the reservoirs of Maharashtra were full by the second half of July. Heavy downpour started by July end and Maharashtra suddenly started releasing water from its reservoirs simultaneously. This caused the floods, the samiti claimed.

He said Maharashtra had violated the Bachawat Tribunal award on Krishna water disputes. Mr. Kalburgi said in the letter that there were over 30 medium and big-sized dams and numerous barrages in the Krishna basin in Maharashtra. Besides, it had constructed 105 small and medium range reservoirs. The capacity of these reservoirs put together was 250 tmcft. He said the immediate concern of the people was that the action of Maharashtra was affecting their lives and profession.

He said the samiti had been urging the Karnataka Government to approach Supreme Court and to initiate other constitutional steps in this regard.

Now, he said, the State farmers were forced to seek his intervention. The upper riparian State must be asked to adhere to water storing schedules strictly. The low-lying villages, which were flood affected, must be relocated. Mr. Kalburgi, who is also Opposition leader in the zilla panchayat, drew the attention of Mr. Singh to the widespread damages caused to houses and standing crops, and demanded crop loss compensation of at least Rs. 10,000 an acre.Referring to Rs. 250-crore Central assistance released to State Government, he said relief measures with regard to floods should not be mixed with that of drought. Clear guidelines must be issued to the effect.

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