Mahanadi Tribunal Asks Odisha, Chhattisgarh To Resolve Dispute Amicably

Bijoy Mohapatra non-monsoon water Mahanadi

New Delhi: The Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal on Saturday directed Odisha and Chhattisgarh governments to amicably resolve the water sharing row.

The three-member bench of Justice A.M. Khanwilkar (Chairperson of the Tribunal), Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Indermit Kaur, while hearing the interim application of the Odisha government, directed both the states to file a written submission in two weeks.

The bench made it clear that if the two states are not willing for an amicable solution to the issue, it will pronounce its final judgement in the next hearing on March 9.

The Odisha government, in its interim application to the Tribunal, had demanded the release of 1.74 million acre-feet water by Chhattisgarh during the non-monsoon season.

The state government, through an affidavit, had contended that as per the tripartite agreement on Mahanadi water sharing between Odisha, Chhattisgarh and the Centre, Chhattisgarh should release 1.74 million acre-feet of water to Odisha during the non-monsoon season. But till January 1, 2019, the neighbouring state had blocked 2.76 million acre-feet by the six barrages it has built on the upstream of Mahanadi.

The Tribunal, while hearing the interim petition of the Odisha government on December 15 last year, had sought details on the volume of rainwater flow into the Mahanadi in the last 20 years through an affidavit, within two weeks.