Centre declines to form tribunal to resolve Mahanadi water dispute

By Nalini Sahu

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 6: The Centre on Wednesday declined to form a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi water row between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the Centre said the Odisha government did not furnish to the required information, hence, there is no need to constitute a tribunal.

Counsel of the Central government Wasim A. Kadri told OTV that the Odisha government had been asked to submit information needed for the proposed tribunal by November 19. However, the State did not provide the details.

Meanwhile, during a discussion in the Odisha Assembly, Government Chief Whip Amar Prasad Satpathy said 41% less water flowed in Mahanadi river in November this year as compared to the same month last year due to barrages constructed by the Chhattisgarh government on upper catchment areas.

He further stated water flow in the river will reduce by 73% in March and 77% by May 2018. As many as 16 districts of the State will be affected following the reduction in water flow, Satpathy informed.

He alleged, “The Centre has been a mute spectator though Chhattisgarh is busy setting up barrages on Mahanadi.”

Slamming both the State government and the Centre, Opposition leader Narasingha Mishra said in the Assembly, “The Odisha government has been neglecting Chhattisgarh’s barrage construction issue since 2000. On the other hand, the Centre has violated rules by delaying formation of a tribunal.”