Chhattisgarh CM’s Statement On Mahanadi Issue ‘Most Unfortunate’: Odisha CM

BHUBANESWAR: Terming the statement of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Mahanadi water issue ‘most unfortunate’, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday requested the neighbouring state government to stop all constructions on the river till the issue is resolved.

“The statement of Hon’ble Chief Minister, Chhattisgarh on Mahanadi water issue yesterday is most unfortunate. It violates the cardinal doctrine of inter-state river water sharing between co-basin states and our federal governance,” Patnaik told reporters here.

Notably, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister on Tuesday said the Mahanadi issue was being “unnecessarily politicized” by the BJD government in Odisha.

“Chhattisgarh is taking water after getting the nod from the CWC. In fact, we have the right to take more water. We are currently using 25 percent of water,” Singh had said.

The Odisha Chief Minister also took a dig at Union Minister of State For Water Resources.

“What is more unfortunate is the false and misleading statement of Mr. Balyan, Minister of State, Water Resources on the floor of Parliament yesterday,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that he had already taken up the Mahanadi issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention.

He requested the Chhattisgarh government to stop all construction activities on the upper catchment of the river until the issue is resolved.

“Mahanadi is the lifeline of our state. We shall not allow Mahanadi to dry out because of the unilateral and blatant actions of Chhattisgarh state,” said the Chief Minister.

He further said, “I assure the people of the state that my government will take up the issue at various levels and leave no stone unturned to establish our justifiable rights over the water of Mahanadi.”