Centre announces negotiation committee for Mahanadi dispute

BHUBANESHWAR: The Centre has set up a negotiation committee to look into Odisha's claim that Chhattisgarh is undermining its share of water in the Mahanadi river.

The Ministry of Water Resources is bringing in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand into what till now was an issue between Naveen Patnaik's Odisha and Raman Singh led Chhattisgarh. The 12 member committee is to be chaired by Member, Water Planning and Projects, of the Central Water Commission and will have representatives from the various states, central ministries and the India Meteorological Department. It has three months to submit its report according to an official statement from the Ministry.

The 850km length of the Mahanadi river is divided almost equally between Chhattisgarh, where it is born, and downstream Odisha. Last year Patnaik's government woke up, belatedly, to barrages that Chhattisgarh had been constructing on the river since years now. Barrages, that Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal says, are meant to feed industrial projects and which will block the flow of water into Odisha whose dependence on the river is greater. Chhattisgarh has denied this allegation pointing out that much of the river in Odisha flows untapped and straight into the sea.

Earlier attempts at resolving the issue, including a meeting of both Chief Ministers with Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharati, had failed. The Ministry's statement on Thursday said the committee had been set up with reference to Odisha's complaint and under section 3 of the Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956. It would assess availability and utilisation of waters in the Mahanadi and its tributaries and examine existing agreements.

The Odisha government which wanted the BJP led Central Government to stop the BJP led state completing these barrages has demanded a Mahanadi Water Tribunal to resolve the issue.