Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Nov 8: With the Centre not yet issuing a notification on the formation of a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute between Orissa and Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and speed up the process.
Patnaik urged the Prime Minister to take steps to issue the notification for the formation of a tribunal by November 19.
Pointing out that the Supreme Court had directed the Centre on October 9 to issue a notification on setting up the tribunal by November 19, the Chief Minister said, “The delay in constituting the tribunal is being exploited by Chhattisgarh. It is going ahead with the construction of six barrages on the Mahanadi River. This is likely to affect the interests of Orissa, particularly during the non-monsoon period.”
Orissa has been opposing Chhattisgarh’s decision to construct barrages in the upstream areas of Mahanadi as that will adversely affect the flow of water to Hirakud reservoir.
Patnaik said his government had filed a statutory complaint November 11, 2016 under Sec 3 of the Inter State River Water Dispute (ISRWD) Act of 1956 seeking constitution of a Water Dispute Tribunal under Sec 4(1) of the ISRWD Act, 1956, for adjudication of the Mahanadi water dispute between Orissa and Chhattisgarh.
“I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Additional Solicitor General appearing for the Union of India in the Original Suit No 1 of 2017 (filed by Orissa) had apprised the Supreme Court May 2, 2017 that the Union Ministry of Water Resources has prepared a note for consideration of the Cabinet on the constitution of a Tribunal with reference to Orissa’s complaint dated November 2019, 2016 for adjudication….,” Patnaik mentioned in the letter.
He wrote that as per provisions of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act 1956, if the Centre feels that the dispute cannot be settled by negotiations, it should constitute a tribunal for adjudication of the dispute within a period not exceeding a year from the date of receiving such a request.
“So the Central government is expected to constitute the tribunal before November 11, 2017,” Naveen said.