A day before the proposed tripartite meeting between Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh and Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, the State Congress published a whitepaper on the Mahanadi water status here on Friday.
“The whitepaper gives factual data on construction of barrages upstream the Mahanadi, breakage of water flow in the downstream and how negligence made by the Odisha Government in taking steps at appropriate time to protect the State’s interest,” said PCC president Prasad Harichandan at a Press meet.
Harichandan said the State Government should have published such a whitepaper as it has all the necessary facts and figures on Mahanadi. But it did not do so to politicise the issue.
“I wish Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik all success at the tripartite meeting. I hope that the meeting would resolve the Mahanadi water issue,” said Harichandan.
Demanding construction of barrages upstream Mahanadi should be stopped immediately, he suggested that a water sharing agreement should be signed between the Chhattisgarh and Odisha Governments.
If the matter is not resolved at the tripartite meeting, the State Government should press for establishment of a tribunal, said Harichandan.