The decades-old boundary dispute issue was raised in the legislatures of both states on Tuesday.
Speaking in the Maharashtra Assembly here on Tuesday, Patil said Karnataka was deliberately harassing Marathi-speaking people in its border areas.
“We should reply to what the Karnataka chief minister says in the same language. If they have so much attitude, then we will raise the height of dams on the Koyna and Warna rivers and that of all the dams in the Satara and Kolhapur districts. They (Karnataka leaders) would not be brought under control otherwise," the former Maharashtra water resources minister said.
"If Karnataka holds us to ransom, then we have water,” he added.
The border issue dates back to 1957 after the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines.