Bhubaneswar: After a break for a day, the Mahanadi Tribunal, which is trying to resolve the water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, will on Friday commence its second phase of field review in Odisha.
Having already visited the Hirakud Dam and Mahanadi basin area, the Tribunal will visit Cuttack Naraj, Mundli, Ansupa, and Chilika Lake on Friday. The members of the Tribunal will first visit Mundli Anikot and Puri main canal and subsequently survey the areas along the Sapua River that joins the Mahanadi downstream.
The Tribunal members will also visit the Naraj Barrage, Mahanadi Barrage, Birupa Barrage, and the Maritime Museum at Jobra.
The Tribunal is surveying the status of Odisha as a result of the alleged illegal construction of dams and barrages across Mahanadi in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
The Tribunal comprises former Supreme Court judge, Justice AM Khanobalikar, Justice Dr Rajnav Ranjan, and Justice Indramit Kaur. The members of the tribunal are visiting various places in Odisha where the Mahanadi river flows and conducting a field survey.
The team has already surveyed the situation at various places in Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, and Angul districts in Odisha. The Tribunal members will now be in Cuttack Naraj, Munduli, Satupa, and Chilika Lake from today to May 28.
It is worth mentioning here that irrigation, drinking water, bio-diversity, and fisheries are affected due to reduced water flow during non-monsoon due to the one-sided decision of Chhattisgarh to construct barrages in upstream Mahanadi.
