CG hopeful of settling Mahanadi dispute with Odisha on Feb 7 hearing

Raipur: Ahead of a proposed visit of a delegation from Odisha on Saturday and a hearing on the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal scheduled for February 7, the Chhattisgarh government has voiced hope of an amicable settlement of the long-pending Mahanadi water dispute between the two states.If a resolution of the long-standing dispute comes through at the February 7 hearing, the water-sharing ratio between Chhattisgarh and Odisha is likely to be 45:55. However, since the river yield hasn't been settled as yet, the ratio is yet to be decided. The matter is under discussion by the two states.A committee constituted by the Odisha government on issues surrounding the sharing of Mahanadi waters is scheduled to visit Chhattisgarh for two days during which they would hold discussions as part of efforts to resolve the dispute. No specific agenda has been set for the meeting, officials said, adding that a detailed discussion on the findings till now will be held between the two states."We are heading towards an amicable resolution, with a hearing scheduled before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal on February 7. With the increase in industrial activity and agriculture due to population growth, the demand for water rose, leading to disputes over water sharing since 2014. Perhaps, the dispute over Mahanadi persists as there is no formal agreement yet between Odisha and Chhattisgarh," the secretary of Chhattisgarh Water Resources department, Rajesh Sukumar Toppo, told TOI.He said the total yield of the Mahanadi river must be decided first, adding that it was perhaps the only inter-state river dispute in India where the total yield of the river is yet to be determined."Odisha has been considering only the stretch of the Mahanadi above the Hirakud dam, without including the portion flowing below the dam. This has been the main point of contention driving the long-standing dispute. An amicable settlement is possible only when Odisha agrees to include the stretch of the river below Hirakud in Odisha. As far as my knowledge goes, Odisha has changed its perspective, which is an indication that a resolution might not be too far away. Once the total yield is decided, both states can work on the principles. Most likely, Chhattisgarh will get 45% of the total yield, while Odisha's share will be 55%," the WRD secretary said.He said the storage capacity of the Hirakud dam alone is 6,000 million cubic metres (MCM), while the total storage capacity in Chhattisgarh is around 8,000 MCM. "We are more or less in agreement on most issues when we sit at the discussion table, and Odisha seems to have changed its outlook. A water crisis is experienced every year, between January and June. The crisis has been deepening due to industrial expansion and agricultural activities. We are into the sixth generation since the dispute cropped up in 1955, but the issue continues to dog the two states," he said.Toppo said no construction work on dams on the Mahanadi is currently underway in Chhattisgarh. "Whenever Chhattisgarh constructs a dam, Odisha raises objections, and when Odisha builds one, we oppose it. As a result, all construction work has come to a halt," he said.Meanwhile, the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal has declined a request from Odisha to seek adjournment of the February 7 hearing, citing the non-availability of the advocate general.In a communication dated January 22, addressed to Odisha's counsel, the Tribunal said it had considered the request but noted that the scheduled hearing was not an effective one. The hearing, it said, was meant to apprise the Tribunal of the status and progress of mutual discussions between the party states for an amicable settlement.The Tribunal decided to proceed with the hearing as scheduled on February 7, while exempting the advocate general of Odisha from personal appearance. Ahead of the panel's visit to Chhattisgarh, Odisha held an all-party meeting on January 23 to finalise its stand.The sixth-largest river in India and a lifeline for both states, the Mahanadi is facing what activists describe as an unprecedented crisis due to extensive upstream construction affecting its environmental flow, said Mahanadi Bachao Andolan convenor Sudarsan Das.According to Das, recent inspections suggested that the Kalma barrage — the last of six major structures constructed by the Chhattisgarh government before the river enters Odisha — has affected downstream flow, a claim denied by the Chhattisgarh WRD secretary.Activists claimed that while the upstream of the Kalma barrage resembled a vast water body, the downstream stretch towards Odisha appeared dry. At Sukhasoda, where the river enters Odisha, the riverbed was reportedly covered with grass and bushes, with no visible water. In protest against the condition of the river, Dr Singh undertook a three-day fast during his stay in Odisha.Dispute over industrial useSince 2004, the Chhattisgarh government has constructed several projects, including six major industrial barrages at Saradih, Kalma, Basantapur, Sheorinarayan, Mironi and Samoda. As per data presented in the Odisha Assembly, over 2,000 projects, including minor irrigation schemes and anicuts, have been initiated in the upper catchment. Activists allege that these structures primarily serve industrial units and thermal power plants rather than agriculture, Das said.The Mahanadi originates near Pharsia village in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district and flows for 851 km before draining into the Bay of Bengal. It supports around 48 lakh hectares of agricultural land and eight lakh hectares of forest, Das said.Under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, upstream states are required to seek consent from lower riparian states for large projects. Odisha has alleged that Chhattisgarh proceeded with construction without adequate consultation or by providing misleading information.Concerns have also been raised over environmental clearances, with reports suggesting that several projects were classified as minor irrigation schemes to bypass scrutiny by the Environment Impact Assessment Authority, despite their scale and industrial use, Das added.