Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries MB Patil on Friday dismissed Maharashtra's claim that raising the height of the Alamatti dam to 524.256 metres would cause floods in Sangli and Kolhapur districts.

He asserted that this argument has already been rejected by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal, the Supreme Court, and even in the Lok Sabha.

"Sangli and surrounding regions in Maharashtra witnessed severe floods in 1964, 1976, 1994 and 1997 -- all before the construction of the Alamatti dam. Moreover, as early as the year 2000, the Supreme Court had ruled that Karnataka is entitled to raise the height of the dam to 524.256 metres," Patil explained.