BJD rules out talks with Chhattisgarh on Mahanadi issue

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the BJD MPs raised the Mahanadi river water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari said negotiation is a better way to resolve the differences between the two States as a tribunal will take years to reach a solution.

Replying to a question from Nagendra Pradhan and Kalikesh Singhdeo (both BJD), the Minister said Odisha will get the right for a tribunal in three months if negotiations failed. “I invite the Odisha Government for a discussion with me and  if this fails with the Prime Minister,” Gadkari said and added that he has written a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inviting him for a discussion on the dispute.
“A single tribunal which will merge all the tribunals of various States is on the anvil and once that becomes a law, Odisha will get a tribunal on the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh,” he said.

Gadkari, however, said the issue can be settled by arriving at a permanent, amicable and enduring solution by negotiations through Joint Control Board under 1983 memorandum of agreement (MoA) between erstwhile Madhya Pradesh and Odisha or in any other appropriate way.The Odisha Government has also filed original suit no.1/2017 before Supreme Court for restraining Chhattisgarh Government from continuing construction and operation of six industrial barrages and taking up any future project. The case was last heard on December 11, 2017. The next date of hearing is January 16, 2018. “A judicial verdict in this matter is awaited,” the Minister said.

The Minister said as per the claim submitted by Odisha to the Ministry through complaint filed on November 19, 2016 under Section 3 of the Inter State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, the requirement of water in Chhattisgarh for the purposes of existing, ongoing and future irrigation, industrial use and domestic projects will be 33.89 billion cubic meters. “In its complaint, the Odisha Government raised issues of quantum of minimum flow in Hirakud dam, surplus flow and shares of States in minimum and surplus flows,” he said.

Gadkari said the Centre set up a negotiation committee in accordance with Section 4(1) of ISRWD Act on January 19, 2017 which comprised members from basin states and ministries concerned of Central Government, Central Water Commission, Indian Meteorological Department and National Institute of  Hydrology for a negotiated settlement of the water dispute. Stating that there was no participation of the Odisha Government, the Minister said in the absence of any data by the Odisha Government in support of its claim and non-participation in the meetings, the issues could not be resolved by the committee.

However, Bhartruhari Mahatab (BJD) said the Centre had expressed its inability to restrain Chhattisgarh from constructing the barrages and that is why Odisha is not agreeing for a discussion. Kalikesh Singhdeo criticised the Centre for talking of new law while formation of a tribunal is a mandatory provision under the existing Act.