Bhubaneswar, Sep 20 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Sunday said the Mahanadi water dispute with Odisha is likely to be resolved “very soon”, asserting that both states have agreed to accept the decision of the Centre on the matter.
Sai, on a two-day visit to Odisha, said the issue would be resolved because there are BJP governments in Chhattisgarh and Odisha and an NDA government at the Centre.
“There is no more dispute over the Mahanadi water distribution matter. There is a BJP government both in Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and an NDA government at the Centre. Therefore, the matter will be resolved very soon,” Sai told reporters after arriving at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.
“Both of us (chief ministers) have given consent to the Centre that we will accept whatever decision is taken by the Central Water Commission with regard to the Mahanadi issue,” he said.
Sai later met Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the city.
In a social media post, the Odisha CM said that he had a “fruitful interaction” with Sai on strengthening cooperation between the two states, and advancing their shared commitment towards the development and welfare of the people.
The chief minister’s office released pictures of Majhi welcoming Sai at his residence but did not mention whether the two leaders discussed the Mahanadi water dispute.
Sai’s remarks, particularly his assertion that there was no longer a dispute over Mahanadi water distribution, drew criticism from the opposition BJD, which questioned whether Odisha’s interests were being protected.
“The Chhattisgarh government is the creator of the Mahanadi water dispute. The statement of its chief minister that it is not a dispute is unacceptable,” BJD vice-president Pratap Jena said at a press conference.
Jena alleged that the Odisha government had compromised the state’s interests on other issues and expressed apprehension that a similar situation could arise in the Mahanadi matter.
“Ever since the BJP came to power in the state, its leaders have been arguing for resolving the issue through mutual discussions. However, no clarification has been given as to the basis on which such discussions would be held,” the BJD said in a statement.
The party also questioned whether Odisha’s interests would be protected while arriving at a settlement.
State Congress president Bhakta Charan Das also sought clarity from the two chief ministers.
“Let the chief ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh hold a joint press conference and issue a statement saying that the Mahanadi water dispute is resolved or will be resolved within a particular time frame,” Das said.
He said the Chhattisgarh chief minister should clarify how the dispute would be resolved without affecting Odisha’s interests.
Sai’s visit and his meeting with Majhi assume significance as they come ahead of the next hearing of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal on September 28.
Technical teams of Odisha and Chhattisgarh are also scheduled to meet on September 21 to deliberate on the distribution of Mahanadi water between the two states.
The two chief ministers had earlier met in New Delhi on July 30 in the presence of Union Water Resources Minister C R Patil. After that meeting, Majhi had expressed optimism that the dispute would be resolved before Diwali.
The water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh has continued for more than a decade. Odisha has alleged that Chhattisgarh’s construction of barrages and weirs upstream has obstructed the free flow of the Mahanadi and affected the state’s water availability.
Chhattisgarh, however, has maintained that it uses only its share of the river water and has alleged that Odisha has failed to utilise the water available to it.
The Centre constituted the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal in 2018 to adjudicate the dispute.
Meanwhile, the Mahanadi Bachao Andolan, an Odisha-based organisation spearheading an agitation to protect the river, questioned the manner in which Sai’s visit was kept under wraps.
In a statement, the organisation asked why the visit was not announced earlier and why people came to know about it only after the Chhattisgarh chief minister landed at the airport. PTI AAM AAM SOM
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