Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh on Thursday to push for a resolution to the long-standing Mahanadi water dispute between the two states.
The development comes days after Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai met his Odisha counterpart Mohan Charan Majhi in Bhubaneswar on 20 September.
‘BJP Bonhomie’
Following his meeting with Sai, Majhi wrote on X that the two leaders had discussed strengthening cooperation between Odisha and Chhattisgarh and advancing their “shared commitment” to the development and welfare of people in both states.
On his part, Sai said there was no major dispute between the two states over Mahanadi water and expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved soon.
“There is no dispute over Mahanadi water. As the BJP is in power in both the states, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, as well as at the Centre, this is going to be resolved very soon,” IANS quoted Sai as saying.
Echoing the optimism, Odisha Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari said the state government is positive about the meeting on Thursday and expressed confidence that the dispute will be resolved amicably.
The minister also said that by the time the present government assumed office, the Chhattisgarh government had already constructed barrages on the Mahanadi.
Earlier, the two chief ministers along with senior officials from both states had met in New Delhi and agreed to allow the Central Water Commission to facilitate a resolution through mutual dialogue.
Troubled Waters
The Mahanadi water dispute dates back to 2016, when Odisha raised objections to Chhattisgarh’s construction of barrages on the river. Odisha has alleged that the construction of at least eight barrages has reduced downstream water flow, affecting agriculture, fisheries and power generation.
Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh has maintained that, as an upper riparian state with a significant share of the Mahanadi’s catchment area, it has the right to use the river’s water for irrigation, industrial development and other needs.