New Delhi: The Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) which held its maiden hearing Saturday issued notices to concerned parties to file their responses to an interim application filed by Odisha government seeking a stay on projects over Mahanadi River basin undertaken by the Chhattisgarh government.
A three-judge bench headed by Supreme Court judge and Tribunal chairman AM Khanwilkar directed riparian states Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand to file their responses by December 1.
“The defendants sought time to file responses on the interim application filed by Odisha and were granted time till December 1. Odisha has been allowed to file its rejoinder by December 14 and the matter has been posted for hearing on December 15,” observed the Tribunal.
Counsel appearing for Odisha advocate Mohan Katarki submitted that Odisha needs urgent ‘protection’ from the Tribunal and requested it for early hearing.
“The state of Odisha needs protection during non-monsoon months from December onwards and therefore, the application for interim relief filed by Odisha inter alia for directions against Chhattisgarh for maintaining a flow of 1.74 MAF during these months may be issued by December,” argued the state counsel before the Tribunal.
The defendants sought time citing Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. However, the Tribunal listed the matter for hearing December 15 after taking note of the urgency emphasised by the counsel.
The Tribunal also directed all parties concerned to file a statement of claims with regard to the main petition. “The aggrieved parties should file statement of claims within eight weeks. The main matter will be heard January 12,” the Tribunal observed.
Notably, the state had filed an interlocutory application October 9 seeking interim relief in the long pending Mahanadi River inter-state water dispute.
In its plea, Odisha government has urged the Tribunal to pass an interim order to Chhattisgarh to ensure a minimum flow of 1.74 million acre ft (MAF) during the non-monsoon months (from November to May). The state also sought directions to Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra to not utilise more than 10.83 MAF of water in its Mahanadi Basin.
The state government has requested the Tribunal to restrain Chhattisgarh from constructing barrages such as Kalma, Saradih and Mirouni among others so that free flow of Mahanadi river water could not be obstructed. It also sought a stay on the construction of future projects by Chhattisgarh government.
Odisha has also pleaded with the Tribunal to constitute Mahanadi Monitoring Committee to oversee implementation of the MWDT orders.