CM Raman takes high level meeting on Mahanadi water dispute

     Raipur, September 01, 2016: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh today discussed with his top officials on the dispute with Odisha for sharing of river water from Mahanadi.

     Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti would chair a meeting of the Chief Ministers from both Odisha and Chhattisgarh at Delhi next week over the latest dispute over sharing of Mahanadi river water and to prepare the case for Chhattisgarh stronger the Chief Minister today discussed the issue with his Water Resources Minister Brij Mohan Agrawal, Chief Secretary Vivek Kumar Dhand and other top officials on the issue.

     “The case of Chhattisgarh will be presented strongly before the meeting with all facts and figures,” the Chief Minister told the meeting.

     The state government today also clarified that the barrages, constructed on river Mahanadi, would not affect the water intake of Hirakud reservoir of Odisha as the barrages are meant for checking rain water and were not having any diversion bear to check the normal flow.

     The meeting also accused Odisha government of not cooperating with Chhattisgarh on the issue and said in the Chief Secretary level meeting at Delhi it was decided to have a joint control board and Chhattisgarh had given its consent but Odisha has been silent on the issue.

       It was also decided in that Chief Secretary level meeting to share all data on the issues relating to Mahanadi water and “Chhattisgarh had provided all its data to the neighbouring state. But despite reminders Odisha has not yet provided any information on that matter,” officials said.

      In the meeting Chief Minister also questioned the motive of Odisha to raise the Mahanadi issue after 59 years of construction of Hirakud dam and said it has no meaning to raise the issue now.

     Also Mahanadi carry an average 40,773 MCM water where as the Hirakud dam has a capacity of only 5400 MCM capacity, Singh said adding the Mahanadi water can fill seven such Hirakud reservoirs.

     Mahanadi is originated from Chhattisgarh and it has a catchment area of 86 per cent in this state where as Chhattisgarh is using only 3.5 per cent of its water and Odisha is able to use only 14 per cent and the rest 82 per cent are flowing down to sea unused, officials informed the meeting.

     Mahanadi water is irrigating 54 per cent of Odisha and in Chhattisgarh that percentage of 30 per cent, they said adding the despite having a major catchment, Chhattisgarh was using a very small portion of that water and unnecessarily Odisha was making this as an issue.