RAIPUR / NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh and Odisha in New Delhi on Thursday, October 1, in a fresh attempt to settle the long-running dispute between the two states over the waters of the Mahanadi river.
Chhattisgarh's Vishnu Deo Sai and Odisha's Mohan Charan Majhi both attended the meeting, The NewsMill reported. The Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel and Water Resources Secretary Rajesh Toppo were also listed to attend, and the chairman of the CWC was to present the findings of an Extended Technical Committee, The Governance Post reported. Both Chief Ministers have written to the Central Water Commission (CWC) saying they are willing to accept its decision on the dispute.
Before leaving for Delhi, Sai told reporters: "Today, I am going on a visit to Delhi. There has been a water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh for so many years, so today we will hold a meeting under the chairmanship of the Union Home Minister."
"Whatever decision the CWC takes in the interest of our states, we both will accept," he said, according to The NewsMill.
Sai linked the prospects of a settlement to politics, noting that "there is a BJP government in both states", The NewsMill reported. "Both states have BJP governments, and whatever decision comes out of this meeting, we will abide by it," he was quoted as saying by Pragativadi.
UNI also reported that both states had given the CWC a written assurance that they would accept a decision taken by the commission in the broader interests of the two states.
The Mahanadi rises at Nagri-Sihawa in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district and flows about 900 km through Chhattisgarh and Odisha to the Bay of Bengal, draining an area of about 1,32,100 square kilometres. In Odisha it feeds the Hirakud Dam, the first major multipurpose river valley project built in India after Independence.
The dispute centres on barrages built by Chhattisgarh upstream on the river, which have long been a contentious political and environmental issue, Pragativadi reported. For both states the river supports farming, drinking water and industry.
Odisha complained to the Central government in 2016 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, asking for a tribunal to adjudicate the dispute, The NewsMill reported. The case is before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal. The CWC has submitted details of earlier rounds of discussion between the two states, which the tribunal has accepted, according to Odisha Plus.
Thursday's meeting followed several rounds of talks this year. Odisha Chief Minister Majhi chaired a high-level meeting on the dispute on July 24, and senior officials of both states met in New Delhi on August 31, where they stressed the need for an amicable solution, The NewsMill reported. Earlier meetings involved the chief secretaries and water resources secretaries of the two states.
Odisha's Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari said the state government was "positive about the proposed meeting" and confident that the dispute could be resolved through discussions, Business News This Week reported. He also noted that "by the time the present Odisha government assumed office, Chhattisgarh had already constructed barrages on the Mahanadi."
Before Thursday's meeting, Odisha's Advocate General Pitambar Acharya said "the dispute can be resolved through mutual understanding", Odisha Plus reported. State ministers and legal experts have said continued dialogue through the CWC is helping the two sides move towards a practical solution that balances the interests of farmers and the ecology of the Mahanadi basin, according to Pragativadi.
The reports did not mention any decision on water sharing from the meeting.
