Raipur

The long-standing Mahanadi River dispute between Chhattisgarh and Odisha will be resolved very soon, keeping in view the mutual interests of both states, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters at Swami Vivekananda Airport after his two-day visit to the neighbouring state, Sai said he held discussions with his Odisha counterpart Mohan Charan Majhi and the water dispute does not carry any scope for conflict.

"The Mahanadi water issue is going to be resolved very soon. Both states have BJP governments, and the NDA government is at the Centre. There is no situation of dispute anywhere," Sai said.

Earlier, the matter was before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, and it has now been referred to the Central Water Commission (CWC), he said.

The dispute over sharing of Mahanadi waters has continued for more than a decade, with Odisha raising objections to upstream barrages constructed in Chhattisgarh and alleging that these affect downstream flows.

The basin areas of five rivers — Mahanadi, Godavari, Ganga, Brahmani, Narmada — are in Chhattisgarh while 78 per cent of the state's population live in the Mahanadi basin, which is the lifeline of the state, a government official said.

The Odisha government had filed a complaint in 2016 with the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (now Ministry of Jal Shakti) objecting to the construction of six barrages for industrial purposes upstream and low flow downstream, especially during the lean period, he said.

In 2018, the Tribunal was constituted following orders of the Supreme Court in the Odisha government's suit.

In recent months, the two states have indicated their willingness to reach an amicable settlement through dialogue and technical consultations.

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The Centre had on July 30 facilitated a meeting between Sai and Majhi, chaired by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil, to work towards a settlement.