Mahanadi River Water Dispute

What is the issue?

Sharing of Mahanadi river water has been a bone of contention between the states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Odisha is now increasingly showing its resentment to the centre for not intervening and resolving the water dispute.

What are Odisha's concerns?

• Odisha is arguing that
• Chhattisgarh has been constructing dams and weirs (small dams) upstream the Mahanadi river.
• This is being allegedly carried on by the Chhattisgarh government without consulting Odisha.
• Odisha says this would affect the flow of the river downstream and affect drinking water supply.
• Also, it would impact the irrigation facilities in Odisha and adversely affect the interests of the farmers.
• It is also alleged that Chhattisgarh would utilise water far in excess of the equitable share of the waters of Mahanadi.
• Moreover, the weirs and other projects would impact the flow of water in the Hirakud reservoir, a multipurpose river valley project, which is a lifeline for many in the state.

What is the way forward?

• Under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 a tribunal can be formed to resolve water disputes.
• A tribunal could be formed if a state government requests the Centre and the Centre is convinced of the need to form the tribunal.
• Odisha has long been demanding the formation of a tribunal for resolving the Mahanadi river water dispute.
• However, notably only three out of the eight existing tribunals have given awards accepted by the states concerned.
• The Centre has recently put forward the idea of a
• permanent tribunal to adjudicate all inter-state river water disputes for speedy resolution.
• Materialising this idea could be a solution to the Mahanadi River Water Dispute and many such water disputes among different states.

Source: The Hindu, Indian Express


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