The Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has constituted a ‘Negotiations Committee’ to assess availability and utilisation of waters of Mahanadi and its tributaries, the Central Government has informed.
The Committee will also examine existing water sharing agreements on river Mahanadi and will consider claims of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand regarding availability and utilisation of waters of these rivers.
The Committee has been set up with reference to complaint of State of Odisha under section 3 of the ISRWD Act, 1956 regarding utilisation of waters of Mahandi Basin.
The committee will be chaired by Member (WP&P), Central Water Commission and will have 11 other members comprising representatives from the States of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Union Ministries of Agriculture, Environment Forest and Climate Change, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, India meteorological Department and Central Water Commission.
The Committee has been asked to submit its report within three months.
Notably, It may also be recalled that the Central Water Commission (CWC) under Union Ministry of Water Resources in August last year had informed that it has two major projects in Chhattisgarh portion of Mahanadi basin at appraisal stage with it; out of which one project — Arpa Bhaisajhar Project is a 'Barrage Project', the Central Government had informed.
Notably, the CWC’s River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation carries out techno-economic appraisal of major and medium irrigation projects (Command Area more than 2000 hectares) which are planned on Inter-State river / river basins, it had informed.
Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Arpa Bhaisajhar Project was sent by Government of Chhattisgarh to Government of Odisha vide letter dated July 28, 2015, it informed.
The Government of Odisha sent its views to Government of Chhattisgarh vide their letter dated April 26, 2016. The DPR of Arpa Bhaisajhar Project is under appraisal in CWC, it had stated last year.
An Inter-State Meeting was held on July 29 , 2016 under the Chairmanship of Officer on Special Duty, Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation to consider the various water resources issues/projects in Mahanadi Basin, it informed.