The Samajwadi Party (SP), State unit on Monday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urging him to convene an all-party meeting on the Mahanadi water dispute.
In the letter, SP State president Rabi Behera said Mahanadi is the lifeline of Odisha as around two crore people of 13 districts of the State depend on its water for agriculture, electricity and drinking purpose.
Construction of barrage over its branch rivers by the Chhattisgarh Government would dry down its streams and it would affect the Hirakuda Reservoir, said Behera.
“At a time when we have water dispute with Andhra Pradesh for Polavarm, West Bengal is trying to establish its rights over the sands of Subarnarekha river. Now, the Chhattisgarh Government is establishing its absolute right over the Mahandi water by passing Inter-State Water Distribution Regulation-1956 by constructing seven barrages over its various branches,” the SP chief said.
He requested the Chief Minister to convene an all-party meeting on the matter and said that the matter should be taken up at the National Development Council (NDC) meeting and with the Prime Minister.