Mahanadi Row: CM Naveen Patnaik to attend Tripartite Meet today

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday left for New Delhi to attend the tripartite meeting among the Centre, Odisha and Chattisgarh over the Mahanadi water dispute, which is going to be held today.

The tripartite meeting, which is scheduled to start at 12 noon, will be chaired by the Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti . Chief Ministers of both Odisha and Chhatisgarh will be present.

Odisha’s Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, Industry Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, Housing and Urban Development Minister Pushpendra Singhdeo are also scheduled to participate the meeting.

Odisha and Chhattisgarh are at loggerheads over sharing waters of the Mahanadi River. Odisha has accused Chhattisgarh of not consulting it, while building seven to eight barrages on the Mahanadi saying that it is effecting the water flow of the river.

The Chhattisgarh government has, however, questioned Odisha’s objection to the barrages, saying the barrages are not at all hampering the water flow.

There has been a demand from Odisha to set up of a tribunal to look into the issue of water-sharing.