SUNIT MISHRA, OP
Bhubaneswar: A crucial meeting to discuss the Mahanadi water dispute will be held in New Delhi Thursday under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Vishnu Deo Sai are scheduled to attend the meeting. There is speculation in various quarters that Shah’s intervention could help resolve the long-standing dispute. Some also believe the meeting could mark the final stage in efforts to settle the Mahanadi issue. Majhi is scheduled to travel to New Delhi Thursday afternoon for a day-long visit.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said a meeting would be held under the home minister’s chairmanship to find a solution to the Mahanadi water dispute, with the chief ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh attending. “The government is positive, and the dispute will certainly be resolved,” Pujari said. He said both Odisha and Chhattisgarh had suffered damage from the recent heavy rainfall. “The amount of rainfall the two states have received has caused similar losses in both states,” he said. Pujari said Chhattisgarh had already constructed barrages upstream of the Mahanadi by the time the BJP government assumed office in Odisha. “A solution will now be found,” he said. He also said the situation could have been different had the previous government pursued discussions on the Mahanadi dispute through all the appropriate forums. “The BJP government is moving ahead with determination to resolve the issue,” Pujari said.
A meeting was held a few days ago under the chairmanship of Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil to discuss the resolution of the Mahanadi water dispute. The chief ministers of both states had also participated in the meeting. Both states have conveyed to the tribunal their willingness to seek an amicable settlement, according to the report. The Central Water Commission (CWC) and representatives of the Union Jal Shakti Ministry have been asked to examine the issues between the two states and work towards resolving them before submitting a report to the tribunal. Work on the matter is under way. However, there is no clear information yet on what decision will be taken at the meeting to be chaired by Shah. There is speculation that the meeting could help resolve the issues between the two states.
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