Despite the hype made by the Odisha Government and the ruling BJD on the eve of the tripartite meeting on the Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, no early solution to the issue in Odisha’s favour is in sight as was evident from the outcome of the meeting in New Delhi on Saturday.
The Centre-brokered meeting in effect was a failure.
There was no reference to the Odisha Government’s main demand for immediate stoppage of the construction of the barrages on the Mahanadi in Chhattisgarh at the meeting.
What Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, who was the Centre’s representative at the meeting and on whose suggestion the meeting was convened, told the media after the meeting amounted to blaming the Naveen Patnaik Government for its much-belated reactions to the Chhattisgarh’s barrage projects.
“Some of the constructions began way back in 2006. Odisha brought it to our notice in June/ July. The Centre needs some time to address the issue even though we don’t have a direct role to play in it. I would still like to assure you that we won’t let injustice be done to either of the States,” said Bharti.
And Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said there is no point in Patnaik’s demand to stop barrage works as their construction is almost complete.
While Patnaik sought stoppage of all construction works by Chhattisgarh, an independent fact-finding committee by the Centre and review of clearances given to the projects by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, his Chhattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh justified that the projects in no way would affect Odisha’s interests.
However, Bharti announced to form an technical committee within a week to examine the contentions of both States and implications of projects being undertaken by them.
She made it clear that there are no master plans received by the CWC (Central Water Commission) from Chhattisgarh on the constructions and sought more time to address the dispute.
On the other hand, Singh termed the objections raised by Odisha a ‘nonissue’ and advised the Odisha Government to come up with more infrastructures to store Mahanadi water instead of blaming his State.
“We are using only 15 per cent water while 57 per cent goes down to the sea. The water flowing from Chhattisgarh can fill up five reservoirs of the size of Hirakud. I don’t see any reason for a controversy after this,” maintained Singh.