Bhubaneswar: Noting that the negotiation with Chhattisgarh to resolve the vexed Mahanadi water dispute was on the right direction, Odisha’s Advocate General Pitambar Acharya Saturday said political dialogue was more important than the prolonged legal battle.
Speaking to reporters, Acharya said that with the same party in power in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and the Centre, the negotiations were heading in a positive direction.
“History shows that none of the water disputes, be it over Cauvery or Krishna, has been resolved through legal means. It is more of a political matter, and there is a need for dialogue between the leadership of the two states. The Centre has also been taking an interest in resolving the matter through negotiation,” he told reporters.
The matter has been pending before the tribunal for the last seven years, and there has been no progress towards resolving it, he said.
“Only one witness has been examined while many others are yet to appear before the tribunal. If the tribunal continues for 10 more years, then also there will be no end to it,” he said.
Acharya said the new government in the state has taken the initiative of negotiation, and it is moving in the right direction.
“The same party is ruling Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already told the chief ministers of both states to resolve the matter through negotiation. Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil is also aware of the development,” he said.
Acharya was speaking to reporters after appearing before the tribunal through video conference.
He told the tribunal, “The CMs of both the states have given their nod for resolving the issue through negotiations, and the chief secretaries and secretaries of water resources departments held discussions in Delhi. The members of the technical committee formed by both states have also held discussions.”
The next hearing of the case is October 11, he said.
The Odisha government has been alleging that Chhattisgarh has obstructed the free flow of water in the river by constructing barrages and dams in the upstream.
This has adversely affected agriculture and livelihoods in the lower basin areas, especially during summers and winters, it claims.
As the initial talks between the two states failed to yield any result, the then BJD government in Odisha moved the Supreme Court in November 2016, seeking the formation of a tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
Subsequently, the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal was formed in March 2018.
PTI
