Odisha Seeks 4 Weeks To Submit Common Format Info Before Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has sought more time to submit the common format information before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal amid the ongoing row with neighbouring Chhattisgarh over the river water sharing.

According to sources, Odisha is reported to have sought four weeks’ time to submit the common information format before the tribunal which undertook field visits in both the states recently.

The prayer made by Odisha was accepted by the tribunal which is slated to hold its next hearing on August 12.

The tribunal had conducted field visits in both Chhattisgarh and Odisha and the matter was posted for hearing today.

While Chhattisgarh is reported to have submitted 34, Odisha has filed eight common format information. Odisha has not filed common format information as there is dispute whether the western catchment is part of Mahanadi basin or not.

A meeting will be fixed by the assessors and affidavits will be filed after submission of common format information.

The tribunal visited 30 locations in Odisha during its site inspection recently to study the water flow in Mahanadi. The tribunal had earlier undertaken field visit in Chhattisgarh in two phases. The aim was to study the water flow downstream and the availability and use of water in non-monsoon season.

n the first phase of the survey ending April 22, the tribunal will cover Mahanadi basin in Chhattisgarh and visit Odisha in the second phase from April 29 to May 3, an official from the public relations department said.

The tribunal had so far held 36 hearings. During a hearing of water dispute between Chhattisgarh and Odisha on March 25 in New Delhi, it had decided to conduct a field survey.

The Odisha government had filed a complaint in 2016 with the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (now Ministry of Jal Shakti) raising objection over the construction of six barrages for industrial purpose in the upstream and low flow in downstream especially during the lean period, sources said.

In 2018, the Centre constituted a three-member tribunal, comprising Justice AM Khanwilkar of the Supreme Court as the chairman and Justices Dr Ravi Ranjan and Indermeet Kaur Kochhar of Patna and Delhi High Courts respectively as members.

The tribunal was constituted following orders of the Supreme Court in a suit filed by the Odisha government seeking to refer the water dispute regarding Mahanadi river and its river valley to a tribunal for adjudication under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.