Bhubaneswar: Amid the ongoing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over Mahanadi water, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today urged the Central government to intervene in the matter and ensure proper flow of water to the river as per the norms of Ministry of Forest and Environment and Climate change.
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahatab said that Chhattisgarh has obstructed the water by constructing dams in the upstream unilaterally.
Citing the letter of the neighbouring State sent on August 27, 2016, Mahatab said that Chhattisgarh has unilaterally planned illegal obstruction of 24.50 million acre feet of Mahanadi river water.
As per 1947 report of Central Waterway and Irrigation Navigation Commission on the Mahanadi valley development (Hirakud dam project), the minimum flow of 20.61 mf of water was approved and Odisha was permitted to use 12.28 maf water. The rest for upstream State,” the MP said.
He rued that the Union Government did not act even after such much persuasion. Ultimately the Odisha Government went to the apex court which referred the matter to be decided by a tribunal, Mahatab told the Parliament.
He explained that even as the tribunal has already had 33 sittings, it has not yet submitted is report.
How many sittings are to be held,? He asked. The tribunal is supposed to give its report within a certain period of time, he pointed out.
He urged the Centre to find out whether the State of Chhattisgarh during its project planning has considered the ministry of forest and environment and climate change guidelines for minimum environment flow.
“How Many water arresting structures have been constructed by Chhattisgarh across Mahanadi? Whether Dam inside Mahanadi basin in Chhattisgarh are being operated by any SOPs. Whether Chhattisgarh has kept any provision in the reservoir to absorb flood water temporarily for the safety of Hirakud Dam in Odisha? The answer is big ‘NO’” Mahatab said.
Should not the Centre intervene?
Expressing concern over obstruction of water during summer, he said the flow of water has stopped fully before we have reached mid of February 2023. Still there are four more months of summer, he maintained.
Today the water level in the Hirakud reservoir is 622.97 ft and everyday 10,000 cusec feet of water has to flow in our canal system both for irrigation and power generation, the MP pointed out.
Comments are closed.