Odisha sends reminder to Chattisgarh on Mahanadi projects

Bhubaneswar, Aug 17: The Odisha government today sent a reminder to Chhattishgarh, seeking early release of information on projects lined up on the upstream of the Mahanadi river.

A copy of the reminder was also submitted to the Central Water Commission. "The Chhattisgarh government had promised at the joint meeting on July 29 that it will share information on ongoing projects on the upstream of river Mahanadi within 15 days. Though the deadline has passed, the Chhattishgarh govenrment has not given any information in this regard," state chief secrretary A P Padhi told reporters here.

The Odisha government, which reserved its decision on whether to go for a joint control board formation to resolve the water dispute with Chhattishgarh, however, had maintained that it would take a decision only after getting the required information from the neighbouring state.

The Chhattishgarh government had allegedly constructed a number of projects on the upstream of the Mahanadi without consulting Odisha even as they were co-basin states.

The Odisha govenrment had sought information on the number of projects already completed, the number of projects under construction and Chhattishgarh's plan for more projects. Meanwhile, the ruling BJD's fact-finding team that had visited Chhattisgarh over the Mahanadi issue, is currently in the process of preparing its report to be sumbitted to the chief minister.

PTI