Bhubaneswar: The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday demanded that the decisions taken at a meeting in New Delhi to address the long-pending Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh be made public.
Addressing a press conference here, BJD MLA and former minister Arun Kumar Sahoo said the dispute was of vital importance to Odisha and people had the right to know the outcome of the meeting chaired by Union Home Minister and attended by the chief ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Sahoo sought disclosure of any decision, agreement or memorandum of understanding reached between the two states, and questioned whether the meeting would result in concrete measures to resolve the dispute.
He said the exercise should not be limited to a symbolic announcement of a resolution, particularly with panchayat and municipal elections approaching in Odisha.
Sahoo said the BJP governments at the Centre, Odisha and Chhattisgarh had raised expectations of an early settlement after the 2024 elections, but alleged that there had been no significant progress.
“Even after two-and-a-half years of the BJP government in Odisha, the dispute remains where it was,” he said, questioning whether the matter would ultimately be settled through the tribunal or bilateral negotiations.
The BJD leader alleged that the dispute stemmed from the construction of barrages, anicuts and other structures upstream of the Mahanadi in Chhattisgarh, and claimed that the river’s flow and that of its tributaries declined during the non-monsoon months.
He also alleged that during the current monsoon, Chhattisgarh opened gates after water levels in the Mahanadi rose without informing Odisha, contributing to flooding in the river and its tributaries in the state.
Sahoo said the developments pointed to inadequate coordination between the governments of the two states.
He sought clarity on whether Odisha would receive the required quantity of Mahanadi water during the non-monsoon period and what action would be taken regarding the barrages that, he alleged, were constructed illegally upstream.
He also demanded that the quantity of Mahanadi water being supplied by Chhattisgarh to industries be disclosed.
The BJD leader reiterated that any decisions or agreement reached at the New Delhi meeting should be placed in the public domain and said the exercise should lead to concrete steps towards resolving the dispute.
