While the BJD has been alleging favouritism by the BJP-led Central Government to the BJP Government of Chhattisgarh over the controversial water use issue between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, Puri BJD MP Pinaki Misra has stated that the Centre had sought a show-cause from the Chhattisgarh Government.
Writing a letter to the Principal Secretary, Odisha Water Resources Department, Misra has annexed a copy of the communication between the Centre and the Chhatisgarh Government on September 20 last. He said, “It is a very serious matter and will have serious implications in the ongoing legal proceedings between the two States in the Supreme Court and the NGT Kolkata.”
“With regard to the controversial barrages being built at the behest of Chhattisgarh Government on the Mahanadi, I have been reliably informed that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India has issued what amounts to a show cause notice to the Chhattisgarh Government to explain their entirely fraudulent and illegal actions.”
The letter dated 20/09/ 2017demanding explanation from the Chhattisgarh Government said that no studies, pertaining to minimum flow to be maintained in the downstream and impact on flora and fauna in the larger area to be submerged over 120 km stretch of Mahanadi river, has been conducted by the implementing agency through an institute of repute. A cumulative impact assessment and carrying capacity of the river needs to be studied.
Besides, it said considering that the flow of the major river with inter-State development of multipurpose Hirakud dam and the flow in 300 km of Mahanadi river up to estuary, an impact of the hydrological alteration and its implication, should have been studied by the CWC.
The Chhattisgarh Government was asked in detail about the vast amount of water sought to be diverted for industrial uses in the name of drinking water and irrigation projects. It has finally been stated that "It is requested to explain what action on the violations have been taken against the project and considering the above project as an individual project.”