Senior BJP leader and former Odisha irrigation minister Bijay Mohapatra today said the state has already been affected due to construction of barrages on upstream of Mahanadi by Chhattishgarh.
His remarks came at a time when the Centre has been maintaining that there would be no injustice towards the state.
There has been no flow of surplus water to Hirakud reservoir in river Mahanadi. Water level at Naraj and Jobra has dropped. Even water level in Kuakhai on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar has declined," Mohapatra, a BJP national executive member, said while reacting over Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari's assurance to Odisha.
Stating that the people of Bhubaneswar will face water scarcity in March, Mohapatra said Odisha has already been affected due to construction of barrages by Chhattisgarh on the upstream of river Mahanadi.
Asked how Gadkari could assure the state that there would be no injustice, Mohapatra said: "I have no idea whether the Union Minister was provided details by the state government on the Mahanadi issue."
Mohapatra, however, said that all details are with the Central Water Commission (CWC) but it is difficult to comprehend why the CWC was not sharing it with Gadkari.
"The CWC should apprise the minister on the Mahanadi issue, Mohapatra said.
Describing Gadkari as a "very efficient" minister, Mohapatra said the minister might not have been fed with correct information.
"I feel he was not properly briefed by the department," he said.
Mohapatra said that those who are arguing that no injustice will be done to Odisha, should know that it is already a victim of injustice.
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