Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has asked his Karnataka counterpart to honour inter-state treaties in the 'larger interests of the masses'.

Deshmukh made the statement in an apparent reference to Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh's refusal to release more water from the Almatti dam.

"Karnataka should release more water from the Almatti dam so as not to cause floods in Sangli and Kolhapur districts of Maharashtra," Deshmukh said during an informal chat with mediapersons at the Subhedari circuit house in Aurangabad on Friday night.

About four lakh cusecs of water is being let out from the Almatti Dam while Maharashtra is seeking release of six lakh cusecs. Karnataka, however, claims it is releasing the maximum water it can from the dam and has said if it goes any further, several villages in that state will be submerged.

• Terrible Tuesday: Mumbai copes with a calamity

Deshmukh had toured the flood-affected areas in Nanded and Parbhani districts before arriving in Aurangabad on Friday night.

Deshmukh also said that pucca houses would be constructed for flood victims through the Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority.

"Decisions regarding financial assistance to farmers to develop their land for sowing for the rabi crop would be taken soon by the Cabinet," he said.

Deshmukh left for Mumbai on Saturday morning, official sources said.

Terrible Tuesday: Mumbai copes with a calamity
Mumbai Help