BHUBANESWAR: With the next hearing of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal scheduled on February 7, the all-party committee constituted by the state government is set to meet on January 23 to prepare the agenda for the next round of discussions with Chhattisgarh government. The meetings between the two states will be held on January 31 and February 1.
Deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo, who chairs the committee, said the next all-party meeting will help finalise Odisha’s stand before both the inter-state talks and the tribunal hearing. The discussions of the meeting will form the basis of the state’s submissions during discussions with Chhattisgarh, he told mediapersons here on Saturday.
Singh Deo said the committee will also hold separate consultations with social organisations actively working on Mahanadi-related issues to incorporate their concerns. He also pointed out that the tenure of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, constituted on March 12, 2018, is due to end on March 13 this year. The state government has already requested the Centre to extend its tenure to ensure completion of the adjudication process. The water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh has been lingering for several years with Odisha demanding transparent data-sharing and adherence to established water-sharing norms. However, the current activities by the Chhattisgarh government on the upper catchment of Mahanadi river system has caused concern in Odisha and raised a question mark on the ongoing negotiations.
Recent reports indicate that Chhattisgarh is constructing a sand bund downstream of the Kalma barrage on Mahanadi, which experts say would potentially reduce the river’s flow to Hirakud Dam. “The inter-ministerial committee is closely monitoring the development and will discuss the matter which will also be taken up in the upcoming inter-state talks,” official sources said.
There was a broad consensus among political parties on safeguarding Odisha’s interests in the first meeting of the all-party committee, where members had stressed the need for transparent data-sharing, protection of irrigation and drinking water requirements of the state.
Apart from members of the committee and senior officials, advocate general Pitambar Acharyra was present at the meeting.