Bhubaneswar: Former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel today urged the triple engine BJP governments to sit together for resolution of ongoing River Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
While speaking to media persons here, Shri Baghel said, “Now BJP’s triple governments are there at Odisha, Chhattisgarh and the Centre. They should mutually go for an out of court settlement on the water dispute.”
The former Chief Minister made this suggestion when he was here to address a press conference on chargesheet filed by ED against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others on charges of money laundering in the National Herald case.
Odisha alleges that it does not receive sufficient water from the Mahanadi river during non-monsoon months as Chhattisgarh obstructs the flow of the water by constructing barrages upstream.
The previous Naveen Patnaik-led government had moved the Supreme Court in this matter in 2016. The Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal was constituted in 2018, following orders of the Supreme Court. The matter is now sub-judice in the tribunal
The new BJP government led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has already started holding discussions for early resolution to the inter-state river dispute.
Shri Majhi took up the issue with his Chhattisgarh counterpart Vishnu Deo Sai on different occasions and the last one here during a meeting. Both mutually agreed to find a way for a peaceful and amicable solution to the Mahanadi water sharing dispute between the two neighbouring states.
Shri Majhi while addressing a function on occasion of the World Water Day this year, had said: “There is a dispute with Chhattisgarh over the Mahanadi. This issue was discussed while meeting Chhattisgarh Chief Minister today. Since the triple-engine government is running in the Centre, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, this dispute will be resolved amicably.”