Bhubaneswar, March 23: The Mahanadi River water-sharing dispute reignited a political showdown between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) following the recent meeting of the chief ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh on Saturday.
BJD took a swipe at the BJP, demanding that Chhattisgarh halt the ongoing construction of barrages on the Mahanadi for any meaningful dialogue to take place.
Welcoming the CMs’ discussions, senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said, “We appreciate the dialogue, but for a productive outcome that safeguards Odisha’s interests, Chhattisgarh must first stop all construction work on the river.”
Acharya also called on the BJP-led “triple-engine government” (at the Centre, in Odisha, and Chhattisgarh) to prioritize resolving the dispute instead of playing the blame game.
Meanwhile, Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan hit back, accusing the previous BJD government of politicizing the issue. He claimed that the BJD had moved the matter to a tribunal in 2016 to serve its political agenda, despite knowing the process would be lengthy.
Harichandan asserted that the BJP government is committed to resolving the matter swiftly and in Odisha’s best interests.
The meeting, held at the Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, saw Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi and Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai engage in discussions. Both leaders agreed to explore possibilities of resolutions to the water dispute, aiming to safeguard the welfare of citizens in both states.
The Mahanadi water dispute has been a longstanding flashpoint between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, with Odisha alleging that upstream construction by Chhattisgarh is reducing water flow downstream, affecting the drinking water supply.
