Odisha forms high-level committee to address Mahanadi River water dispute

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has constituted a high-level committee under chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vaardhan Singh Deo for providing policy guidance to the technical and administrative efforts for resolution of Mahanadi River water dispute with Chhattisgarh.

Also read: Odisha, Chhattisgarh express willingness to resolve Mahanadi water dispute ‘amicably’

A statement issued by Chief Minister’s Office said, in view of the ongoing discussions and proceedings before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal by the State Government’s Water Resources Department, and considering the complexity and sensitivity of the Mahanadi water issue, the government has constituted a high-level committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Singh Deo.

“This committee will examine all relevant aspects related to Mahanadi water and provide necessary policy guidance to the technical and administrative efforts currently underway in the State,” it said.

Other members of the committee include Suresh Pujari, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, Prithviraj Harichandan, Law Minister, Sampad Chandra Swain, Industries Minister, Saroj Kumar Pradhan, Government Chief Whip, Niranjan Pujari (MLA), Jaynarayan Mishra, (MLA) and Sophia Firdaus (MLA).

Also read: Odisha, Chhattisgarh make headway towards resolving Mahanadi River water dispute

Earlier, Odisha Government in a statement said both Odisha and Chhattisgarh, had agreed to work sincerely and amicably towards a mutually beneficial resolution through dialogue and cooperation.

Then, as per statement, technical committees headed by the Engineer-in-chiefs of both States will meet weekly to identify and resolve critical issues.

MLA, members of the high-level committee, are of the opinion that political resolution of inter-state dispute is always quick while court or tribunal route takes time.

The Mahanadi River, often described as the lifeline of Odisha, originates from the Amarkantak hills in the Bastar Plateau of Chhattisgarh. It flows for a total length of 851 kilometres, of which 494 kilometres lie within Odisha, before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.