BJD MPs demand tribunal to resolve Mahanadi row

New Delhi: Even as the ongoing five-day Mahanadi Banchao Andolan entered its third day, leader of BJD’s parliamentary party Bhartruhari Mahatab on Thursday raised the water sharing dispute between Odisha and Chhattishgarh in Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour and accused the Centre of intentionally delaying formation of the tribunal to resolve the issue.
“In 2016-17, we witnessed 80 per cent loss in water flow in the Mahanadi during the non-monsoon period. A tribunal should be set up immediately as the delay is allowing Chhattisgarh to go ahead with the construction of its barrages,” he said.
Earlier in the day, 21 MPs from Odisha staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi statue on Parliament premises here.
Holding placards, 20 MPs of BJD and Congress Rajya Sabha member Ranjib Biswal condemned the Centre’s inaction in the matter and demanded setting up of a tribunal to resolve the dispute. They also demanded an immediate halt to the ongoing constructions in the upstream of the river by the Chhattisgarh government.
On Wednesday, Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik and BJD MPs Tathagat Satpathy, Nagendra Pradhan, Kulamani Samal, Pratap Deb, Ladu Kishore Swain and Prabhas Singh along with water activist Rajendra Singh joined the satyagraha at Jantar Mantar here by ‘Agami Odisha’, a socio-cultural outfit. However, Union Minsters Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram had been conspicuous by their absence despite being invited to the protest.
A delegation is also scheduled to meet the President, Prime Minister and Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti during the Satyagraha and apprise them of the water sharing dispute.
On August 6, the Centre had decided to set up a tribunal to resolve issues relating to Mahanadi between the two states under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 and prepared draft cabinet note in this connection.
Notably, the National Green Tribunal had recently ordered a stay on some controversial constructions on Mahanadi by the Chhattisgarh Government.