Mahanadi water dispute: NGT issues notice to Center, Odisha, Chhattisgarh

Bhubaneswar: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to Center, Odisha and Chhattisgarh governments over the constructions on upper Mahanadi river.

Admitting a petition filed by Agami Odisha, an apolitical forum, the eastern division of NGT has issued the notice to the Centre, Odisha and Chhattisgarh asking them to submit their views on the ongoing project construction works in upper Mahanadi by February 22.

Agami Odisha had filed a petition protesting the ongoing construction of projects in upper Mahanadi. The petition was heard on Tuesday in the court of Justice SP Wandi and Dr. Prof PC Mishra, Expert Member in the Eastern Bench of NGT at Kolkata.

Agami Odisha counsel Ritwik Dutta said the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has given the environment impact assessment clearance to the projects being constructed by Chhattisgarh without consulting the Odisha government.

“We prayed NGT for its urgent intervention in the matter and direct the Chhattisgarh government to stop all projects in Chhatisgarh on upper Mahanadi till proper study is done on the cumulative impact on its ecological flow in the riparian state,” said Dutta.