Mahanadi row: NGT extends stay on construction of projects by Chhattisgarh

Bhubaneswar: In yet another blow to Chhattisgarh on the Mahanadi water dispute, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday extended its interim stay on construction of projects, which have not yet been commissioned on the upstream of Mahanadi in the neighbouring state.
The stay was given on a petition filed by social activist Sudarsan Das, expressing concern over environmental flow and cumulative impact of various projects that are operating in the state of Chhattisgarh.
The Advocate General of Chhattisgarh apprised the NGT about the proceedings before the Calcutta High Court on the writ petition filed by the state challenging the green tribunal’s July 26 order, restraining them from executing projects which have not been commissioned. The NGT made it very clear that they had no doubt about their jurisdiction to try the matter relating to substantial question related to environment of the Mahanadi river and they are very well within their right to hear the matter on merits and pass orders from time to time.
The NGT instead allowed its order to continue until next date of hearing on October 25.
Hence as per NGT’s July 26 order and today’s extended order, six major projects which were to draw water from the Mahanadi river for various industrial purposes cannot proceed with the same despite having environmental clearances granted to them by the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Chhattisgarh.
Six barrage projects have primarily been built to supply water to 35 industrial projects, out of which 10 industries are already extracting water from the river but there are 25 industrial projects which are yet to start extracting water from the river and they cannot do so until further orders from the tribunal. Altogether, 31 projects cannot be executed as per the order.
On the other hand, Chhattisgarh requested for time to file their responses to the rejoinder of the applicant and the affidavits of the Odisha.