After two days’ stalemate over Mahanadi issue, normal businesses were conducted in the State Assembly on Friday following a decision taken by the Business Advisory Committee to hold a detailed debate on the issue.
The discussion, held on a motion on Mahanadi water dispute brought by Government Chief Whip Anant Das, remained inconclusive with passing of blames between opposition Congress and BJP and the ruling BJD.
Initiating discussion, Das said as many as 12 barrages have been constructed upstream Mahanadi in Chhattisgarh without permission from the Central Water Commission (CWC). Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti was not impartial at the tripartite meeting held recently in New Delhi where Chief Ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh attended through the mediation of the Centre to sort out the issue. He demanded that the Centre be impartial and protect interest of Odisha vis-à-vis Mahanadi water.
leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra slammed the State Government severely for lacking data on barrages in Chhattisgarh and blamed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the situation.
He said the Congress representatives are ready to accompany the Chief Minister should he plan to meet the Prime Minister for resolving the Mahanadi issue.
“Odisha should approach the Centre for setting up a Tribunal to solve the matter,” he opined.
He also demanded that the Government publish a Whitepaper so that the people can know how they will be affected by projects in upstream Mahanadi.
Mishra alleged that the Chief Minister wanted the issue to linger for his political gains.
Rejecting the Government’s plea that it was not aware of barrages in Chhattisgarh, Mishra said the Chief Minister had in 2001 assured the House that Chhattisgarh would not be allowed to proceed with construction activities on upstream of Mahanadi.
In 2003, the State Government had claimed that water flow would not be affected even if Chhattisgarh built dams. In 2010, it said steps were being taken to protect interest of the State.
“It is ridiculous that the Government is saying now that Chhattisgarh built the projects without informing Odisha,” said Mishra.
He slammed the Chief Minister, who heads the Water Resources Department, for his absence in the House during the debate.
On the other hand, the BJP alleged that the Odisha Government’s silence over the secret constructions by Chhattisgarh indicates that there has been some secret pact between the Odisha and Chhattisgarh Governments.
“The projects are being undertaken to benefit the industries. The same industrialists who are operating in Chhattisgarh are also operating in Odisha. It seems that there has been some secret agreement between the two Governments,” said BJP MlA Pradeep Purohit.
Participating in the discussion, Industries Minister Debi Prasad Mishra said, “If the reduction in water flow in Mahanadi continues, the river will dry up by the year 2026.”
The issue would be discussed on Saturday afternoon, said Speaker Niranjan Pujari.