Mahanadi Dispute: Nitin Writes To Naveen Seeking Mutual Discussion Between Odisha & Chhattisgarh

Photograph: Suprakash Mishra

Bhubaneswar:  Union Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari on
Friday wrote to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seeking mutual
discussion between Odisha and Chhattisgarh governments to resolve
Mahanadi water sharing dispute.

In his letter, the Minister sought more time to settle the matter.
Stating that moving a tribunal only delays a solution, he said the
longstanding dispute can be sorted out through discussion.

Odisha has the right to move a tribunal or the Supreme Court, but
similar disputes pertaining to water sharing usually take several
years to get resolved, Gadkari said.

On Thursday, the minister had said in Lok Sabha that Odisha will get
its right in the next three months after a bill seeking the formation of
a single tribunal for the inter-state water disputes gets the approval of
the Lok Sabha.