Cong seeks PM's intervention on Mahanadi river water dispute

The Congress today accused both BJD and BJP of conspiring to mislead people on the Mahanadi river water issue ahead of the Panchayat elections in Odisha, and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in the matter.
The party sought the formation of a tribunal to solve the vexed dispute and direction to Chhattisgarh to halt all construction works on the river.
"As Panchayat polls in Odisha are being held next month, BJD is trying to mislead people over Mahanadi river water issue for votes. BJP is also not lagging behind in its bid to derive political mileage," Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Prasad Harichandan told reporters.

The manner in which a Negotiation Committee to resolve the Mahanadi river water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh was mooted by the Centre and the way the BJD government rejected it, had made it amply clear that both political parties were desperate to mislead people to get votes, he said.
The OPCC chief said he has written letters to the Prime Minister and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the Mahanadi river issue and the need to resolve it quickly.
Harichandan said he has urged Modi to direct the Chhattisgarh government to stop all construction works on River Mahanadi and its tributaries in that state pending final decision or arbitration on the matter.

The PM should also scarp the Negotiation Committee on the issue constituted and ensure formation of an Inter-State River Water Dispute Tribunal to resolve the matter, he said.

"As the ball is entirely in your court, I would urge upon you to keep aside narrow political considerations and play an active role which is imperative to safeguard the interests of Odisha and basic cooperative federal ethos and principles," the PCC chief said in his letter to the PM.
Describing Mahanadi as the mother river to millions of people of Odisha, he said Chhattisgarh's attempt to construct a number of projects on the river and its tributaries would deprive the people of Odisha of their due share of water.

Even when the Centre was aware of its responsibilities in ensuring a halt to illegal and arbitrary act of Chhattisgarh, it did precious little except arranging a meeting of the Chief Ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh on September 17, 2016, Harichandan said.
As expected, the meeting ended in failure and even the request of Odisha government for direction to Chhattisgarh to temporarily stop ongoing projects was not acceded to, he said.
Hitting out at Patnaik, Harichandan said the CM betrayed the interests and trust of people of Odisha.
"For years he remained silent on the issue and even when people reacted angrily against his inept handling of the issue, he initiated measures half-heartedly only to be fool the people of the state," he said.

Noting that the Odisha government has lodged a statutory complaint under Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 before the Centre on November 19, 2016 with a request to constitute an Inter-State Tribunal on the issue, Harichandan said the Centre ignored the representation for months.
Only on January 17, 2017, it constituted a Negotiation Committee, to delay the resolution, he alleged.
In his letter to Patnaik, the PCC chief urged him to immediately act to save Mahanadi for the people of Odisha, instead of indulging in "politicking".
"Because of sheer administrative and political callousness of the Government of Odisha, the projects undertaken by Chhattisgarh on Mahanadi river and its tributaries are nearing completion. It will result in depriving the people of Odisha their legitimate share of water," he said.

Stating that River Mahanadi is not a "political football", Harichandan urged the Chief Minister to initiate strong measures before the Supreme Court and the Centre so that the crisis was brought to a solution.