Centre tries to resolve Mahanadi issue but Patnaik unhappy

New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) The Centre today attempted toresolve Mahanadi river water dispute between Odisha andChhattisgarh at a trilateral meeting here but Odisha ChiefMinister Naveen Patnaik was not happy and said his governmentwill decide tomorrow on steps to safeguard the state’sinterests. At the meeting convened by Union Water Resources MinisterUma Bharti, it was decided that a committee would be formed toexamine dam projects in the two states including those onMahanadi, sharing of whose water has become a matter ofdispute between them, to see if rules were flouted duringtheir construction. Patnaik said he wanted Chhattisgarh to immediately stopwork on its barrages but his demand was not accepted at themeeting which was also attended by his counterpart RamanSingh. "I have called a meeting of the Cabinet in Bhubaneswartomorrow. We will decide steps to take. We will leave no stoneunturned in the interest of people of Odisha," he said. Earlier, Bharti said the decision to form the committeewas taken "amicably". "A committee will be formed under officer on special dutyto examine all the projects of Chhattisagarh and Odisha whichare eligible to be first studied by technical advisorycommittee (TAC), but are being built without TAC’s go ahead "The committee under OSD will study data from the twostates within a week to see if rules were flouted whileconstructing the projects," Bharti told reporters. The committee, which will also have officials from thetwo states as their members, will study the projects within aweek. Two teams will be sent to the two states to gather data. The Union Minister said another committee will be formed,as proposed by Odisha government, to study situation inMahanadi basin/catchment area during monsoon and non-monsoonperiod. "If the committee says, a board will be set up to settledisputes. The committee will be headed by Water ResourcesMinistry official and will have officials from both states,Water Resources Ministry officials and environmentalists asits members," she added. Patnaik claimed that the barrages being constructed byChhattisgarh government on Mahanadi will affect drinking waterand irrigation facilities in Odisha, a concern which wasdownplayed by Singh. Among other things, Bharti said Chhattisgarh proposedsetting up of a gauge station by Central Water Commission at apoint where Mahanadi enters Odisha to know amount of waterflows to latter. "Odisha has backed the proposal," she added.(MORE) PTI ENM AKKAKK