Four major and medium irrigation projects proposed by the Odisha government in the lower Mahanadi basin are awaiting approval from the Central Water Commission (CWC), state Water Resources Minister Tukuni Sahu informed the assembly on Thursday.
Replying to an unstarred question of BJD MLA Bhupinder Singh, the minister said the CWC has not yet approved the projects due to the Odisha-Chhattisgarh interstate dispute over Mahanadi River water.
The detailed project reports (DPRs) of four major and medium irrigation projects including the Upper Udanti barrage, Tel integrated dam, Laxmipathar dam, and Lamadora dam have been prepared and sent to the CWC for approval.
The CWC will examine the DPRs after the final verdict of the Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal, she said.
During the last non-monsoon season, the water level of Hirakud dam reached 1.001 million acre feet due to the low flow of water to the Mahanadi River from neighbouring Chhattisgarh, Sahu said in another written statement in the House.
The Centre had constituted the Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal in March 2018 to resolve the row between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over the sharing of Mahanadi water. Hearing of the case still going on, she said.
The state government, through a statement of claim (SOC), has put forth its demands before the tribunal. Other co-basin states such as Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh have also submitted their claims before the tribunal. The Odisha government has also submitted its counter-affidavits to the demands of the other states, the minister informed the House.
The state government has engaged national-level renowned technical experts and senior lawyers to put forth the state's demand before the tribunal, she added.