BHUBANESWAR: Reports that Chhattisgarh has initiated the process for construction of a barrage on Udanti river have triggered sharp reactions from the Opposition BJD and Congress, who have questioned the Odisha government’s efforts for a negotiated settlement of the long-standing Mahanadi river water dispute.
The Udanti river originates in Chhattisgarh and flows through Odisha’s Nuapada and Kalahandi districts. It is a tributary of the Tel river, which ultimately feeds into the Mahanadi river system. While Udanti does not directly join the Mahanadi, it is considered an important river within the basin.
Official sources said the Odisha government had earlier objected to Chhattisgarh’s proposal in 2018 to construct barrages on the Udanti river, citing concerns that such structures could reduce water inflow to the Hirakud dam. The recent in-principle approval granted by the Chhattisgarh government for the Udanti barrage has once again brought the issue into focus, they added.
BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty questioned the outcome of two meetings of the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) held over the past six months to resolve the river water dispute. He demanded that the Odisha government make the deliberations of the JTC public so that the issues raised by the state are known.
Mohanty also questioned how a negotiated settlement could move forward when the Chhattisgarh government has given in-principle approval for a barrage on the Udanti river. He said Odisha had submitted proposals for the construction of Upper Udanti and Lower Udanti barrages to the Central Water Commission (CWC), which are still pending.
OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das said the latest development exposed the failure of the double-engine government to resolve the inter-state river water dispute.
However, advocate general of Odisha Pitambar Acharya maintained that the process for a negotiated settlement of the Mahanadi water dispute was progressing in a positive direction. He declined to divulge the details, citing the upcoming hearing of the Mahanadi River Water Disputes Tribunal scheduled for February 7.