Mahanadi Water Dispute: Odisha Seeks Details Of Barrages From Chhattisgarh

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has demanded Chhattisgarh to furnish details of the barrages constructed over the Mahanadi during a hearing in the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal over the water sharing dispute on Saturday. Odisha has asked Chhattisgarh to provide the necessary details in the common information format.

While hearing the State government’s plea, the Tribunal said Odisha can apply even if Chhattisgarh does not furnish details on number of barrages it has constructed, their capacity and height to the assessor appointed by the tribunal.

Moreover, Odisha urged the Tribunal to pronounce its verdict on how much water should be released to the Hirakud dam during the non-monsoon season on the next hearing scheduled on December 5.

The Tribunal has also urged the two States to finalise the date of hearing on the main petition.

Notably, Odisha and Chhattisgarh are on loggerheads over the release of Mahanadi river water to the Hirakud dam and a series of meetings between the two States over the long-standing dispute are yet to yield any results.

Odisha government had requested the Central government to form a Tribunal under Sec 4(1) of the ISRWD Act, 1956 to resolve the dispute with the neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

(Edited By Suryakant Jena)