A tripartite meeting convened by the Centre to resolve disputes between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh governments over release of water from Bansagar dam today failed to make headway as several outstanding issues could not be sorted out.
Even as Uttar Pradesh demanded immediate release of 2,000 cuses of water from Bansagar dam located in Madhya Pradesh, the latter has expressed its inability to release water due to disputes over sharing of operational expenses.
While Chief Ministers of both the states kept away from the meeting, Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav met Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti here and sought directions to Madhya Pradesh for releasing water from the dam immediately.
However, Water Resources Ministry officials from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh held a meeting with the Union Water Resources Secretary here, sources said.
"The inter-ministerial (of the two states) meeting could not take place as several outstanding issues needs to be sorted out first. So, the meeting between the ministers may take place after such issues are resolved at the official level," an official said.
Yadav, who met Bharti, sought directions to Madhya Pradesh government to immediately release 2000 cusecs of water from Bansagar dam for two months into Sone river against the due share of Uttar Pradesh.
The Union Water Resources Minister "promised" to look into the matter, a statement issued after the meeting said.
The dam is located in Madhya Pradesh and controlled by Bansagar Control Board which is a subordinate office of the Union Water Resources Ministry.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government said it stands by its decision on sharing of water from Bansagar dam across Sone river but expressed inability to release water to Uttar Pradesh.
According to a Madhya Pradesh Government press release, the state government had earlier requested U.P. Government to pay its share of dues so that water can be stored and shared accordingly.
"...But U.P. Government has not shown any interest in this regard and the state government has also not received any communication from U.P. Govt. In this regard till date," the statement quoted Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Principal Secretary Radheshyam Julania as saying in the meeting.
