The Times of India          17.02.2014

Sangli Miraj Kupwad Municipal Corporation to lift water from Warna

KOLHAPUR: The Sangli Miraj Kupwad Municipal Corporation (SMKMC) has changed its water lifting programme. The civic body will now lift water from the Warna river instead of the Krishna. The plan is likely to cost the administration Rs 79.2 crore.

Mayor Kanchan Kamble said the previous ruling coalition in the civic body had decided to lift water from the Krishna river for drinking purposes, which would be distributed in areas that come under the jurisdiction of the corporation. "However, the expert panel brought to our notice that the Warna is closer to Sangli than the Krishna river, which is why we decided to lift water from the Warna for drinking purposes."

The scheme was tabled in the corporation on Saturday and was passed after discussions. Surprisingly, even the main opposition party, the NCP, did not oppose the proposal of shifting the water lifting scheme from the Krishna to the Warna river. The NCP had earlier declared that it would oppose the decision of the ruling party but NCP corporators hardly raised any objections.

Currently, the Congress is in power in the SMKMC, replacing the NCP-led Maha Aghadi. The previous government had decided to lift the water from the Krishna, a decision which was reversed by the Congress.

Though the project was sanctioned around five years back, only 60% of the work was completed.

Kamble added that lifting of water from Warna river is more economical, which prompted the civic body decided to reverse the decision.

Leader of opposition Digvijay Suryavanshi said the scheme will not be opposed entirely, but the ruling government should speed up work on pending projects.

Leader of Swabhimani Aaghadi in the corporation Gautam Pawar supported the decision to shift the drinking water plan from the Krishna to the Warna river bed. He said the Krishna is more polluted than the Warna river, which is why the decision was supported.