Amit Shah to chair meeting with Odisha, Chhattisgarh CMs on Oct 1 to resolve Mahanadi water dispute

Bhubaneswar, Sep 29 (PTI) Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has convened a meeting of the chief ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh on October 1 to resolve the vexed Mahanadi water dispute between the two states, the coastal state's Advocate General Pitambar Acharya said on Tuesday.

This came barely 10 days after Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai met his Odisha counterpart Mohan Charan Majhi during his two-day visit here and expressed confidence that the long-standing issue would be resolved soon.

On Tuesday, Acharya said, "Chief ministers of both states along with their chief secretaries and technical committee members will join a meeting to be chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on October 1. Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil will also remain present in the crucial meeting, which will open doors for resolving the dispute between the two states."

He told reporters that Majhi and Sai had attended a meeting presided over by Patil on July 30 and agreed to resolve the issue amicably. The Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal has also supported the proposal of amicable settlement, and the Central Water Commission (CWC) has been working on modalities to reach a conclusion in the matter.

Following Sai's visit, Majhi expressed optimism about putting an end to the dispute before Diwali.

The dispute over sharing of Mahanadi waters has continued for more than a decade, with Odisha raising objections to upstream barrages constructed in Chhattisgarh and alleging that these affect downstream flows.

The basin areas of five rivers — Mahanadi, Godavari, Ganga, Brahmani, Narmada — are in Chhattisgarh, while 78 per cent of the state's population live in the Mahanadi basin, which is the lifeline of the state, a government official said.

The Odisha government had filed a complaint in 2016 with the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (now Ministry of Jal Shakti) objecting to the construction of six barrages for industrial purposes upstream and low flow downstream, especially during the lean period, he said.

In 2018, the tribunal was constituted following orders of the Supreme Court in the Odisha government's suit.