New Delhi, Oct 1 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh on Thursday to speed up resolution of the Mahanadi water dispute.
The meeting is expected to take forward talks on equitable sharing of Mahanadi water between the two states.
The development comes just days after Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai met Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi in Bhubaneswar on September 20.
After the meeting, Sai had said there wasn’t a major problem between the two states over the river waters and expressed confidence that the dispute would be resolved soon.
While speaking to media persons upon arrival in Bhubaneswar, the Chhattisgarh CM said, “There is no dispute over Mahanadi water. As the BJP is in power in both the states, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, as well as at the Centre, this is going to be resolved very soon. Several long-pending inter-state river water disputes are also being settled amicably. So, the Mahanadi water dispute between Chhattisgarh and Odisha will also be resolved soon.”
He further noted that the Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh and Odisha, along with senior officials from both states, recently met in New Delhi and gave their consent to the Central Water Commission to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute through mutual dialogue.
Notably, the Mahanadi River water dispute is a long-standing conflict between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over the sharing of the river’s water, dating back to 2016. Odisha has alleged that Chhattisgarh’s unilateral construction of at least eight barrages has reduced downstream flow, affecting agriculture, fisheries and power generation. Odisha considers the Mahanadi its “lifeline” for agriculture, fisheries and power.
Meanwhile, informing about his meeting with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi wrote on X, “It was a pleasure to receive Hon’ble Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai Ji, at my residence. We had a fruitful interaction on strengthening cooperation between Odisha and Chhattisgarh and advancing our shared commitment towards the development and welfare of our people.”
–IANS
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