New Delhi: Officials and technical experts from Odisha and Chhattisgarh will meet again March 5 to resume negotiations on the Mahanadi River water dispute as the meeting between both the sides held here Monday ended inconclusively.
Around 19 officials and experts, including the Water Resources department Secretaries of Odisha and Chhattisgarh, met on the Supreme Court premises here and held discussions for around two hours.
Sources said Odisha officials requested the representatives of Chhattisgarh to maintain 1.252 million acre feet (MAF) water flow at Hirakud Dam during non-monsoon months – from November to April.
The representatives decided to meet again March 5 after taking instructions from their respective governments.
Odisha Water Resources department Principal Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena refrained from saying anything to the media. He said they will apprise the tribunal of the meeting. The tribunal will hear the matter March 9.
The meeting was scheduled after the Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal asked both the states to resolve the matter mentioned in the interim application amicably.
A three-judge bench comprising tribunal Chairperson A M Khanwilkar, Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Indermeet Kaur February 9 concluded hearing on the interim application filed by Odisha seeking a stay on the operation of barrages in Chhattisgarh and ensuring a minimum flow of 1.74 MAF from November to May.
The bench had directed the officials and technical experts from both states to resolve the issue through talks.
“If the parties are unable to reach an amicable solution then the tribunal will pronounce its judgment,” the bench had said.